sixense

RPC Talks with Mariana Garștea, Sixense România
RPC Talks with Mariana Garștea, Sixense România 2560 1999 ROMANIA PROPERTY CLUB

RPC Talks to Mariana Garștea

Director General, Sixense România

Profile of the company

Sixense Romania is a company that provides technologies, solutions and expertise related to the monitoring of structural and geotechnical risks associated to the built environment.
The company is part of Sixense Group, the global leader of this industry, and has been established in Romania for more than 14 years. During this period of time, it has run complex monitoring projects during both the execution and the operational phase of construction and infrastructure projects.

What were the main business results for 2024?

In 2024, we exceeded the threshold of 1.4 million euros from services related to monitoring the behavior of buildings over time. We estimate a healthy, sustainable growth for this year as well.

Regardless of volumes or figures, maintaining high standards of quality is and will remain our priority, especially in an industry like ours, where, unfortunately, things are not always done by the book or with the necessary expertise. Therefore, we always balance business results with how we manage to bring specialists into the team and with the investments we make to improve certain processes and standards.

What are the company’s business targets and plans for 2025?

Our plans for 2025 focus on several directions. On one hand, we wish to strengthen our presence in the western part of the country, thanks to the opening of our second office in Cluj just last year.

On the other hand, I want us to continue confirming our position as the leader of the building behavior monitoring industry, a position we have earned through many years of work and achieving our goals at the highest standards.

As before, our plans include collaboration with public authorities on critical infrastructure projects, the continuous development of our team of specialists, and the integration of real-time monitoring solutions whenever the project context and objectives require it.

What role do you think technology and smart building solutions will play in shaping residential and commercial developments in 2025?

I believe technology already plays an extremely important role, at least in what we do. We are advocates for digitalization and modern geotechnical and structural monitoring solutions – something we’ve been doing for many years. Of course, as I always say, the introduction of technology requires at least several favorable factors: 1) openness from all players involved in a construction project, 2) the necessary education and professional skills to allow us to use it to its full potential, and 3) the know-how to understand when technology should be integrated, when it truly serves the project, and when it’s more about technology for the sake of technology.

As we use it, however, technology has long entered the realm of geotechnical and structural monitoring and provides us access to transparent, real-time data, alerts when safety thresholds are exceeded, and the visualization of the bigger picture that enables responsible, informed, and efficient decision-making.

What economic pressures (e.g., inflation, material costs) or regulatory changes do you anticipate impacting the market in 2025, and how is your company preparing for them?

The measures taken for the beginning of this year – I’m referring here to the elimination of fiscal facilities in the construction industry – are already putting pressure on everyone. It’s not at all easy to maintain the level of quality we want at Sixense Romania, which also involves constant investments in professional development, technology, and better processes, in this context.

But if I were to take it a step further, the changes we’re looking at for 2025 are more related to the adoption of the new CATUC (Code for Territorial Planning, Urbanism, and Constructions), which we’ve been waiting for some time now – and which should clarify and unequivocally define how the monitoring of building behavior over time is done.

Otherwise, strictly related to regulatory changes, the industry we are part of has an anomaly: I believe we already have the legislative framework and quality standards to successfully complete our work, we just need to truly adhere to them. We’ve been ready for all of this for a long time, and we hope the market itself will move closer to the same mentality in 2025.

7 Things to Consider for the Structural Safety of Your Asset
7 Things to Consider for the Structural Safety of Your Asset 2560 1707 ROMANIA PROPERTY CLUB

A guide compiled by Mariana Garstea, General Director Sixense Romania

When developing a new building in an urban environment with neighboring structures in the influence area, it is essential to consider several important aspects related to geotechnical and structural monitoring.

These considerations are not only legal obligations, but also to make sure that the development of your project does not encounter blockages from the owners of the neighboring buildings and the control bodies, and most importantly, that your building is safe and durable. Here is a brief guide to keep in mind.

Risk Assessment

It is necessary to first identify the risks your asset is exposed to. Each building has a series of specific risks, which are crucial to understand. We are talking about risks associated with the location, including ground stability, groundwater levels, and the impact on adjacent constructions. Therefore, it is also important to understand how construction activities might affect neighboring buildings, including potential settlement or vibration-induced damage.

Based on the identification and definition of these risks, a geotechnical and structural monitoring program is then developed, tailored to the actual on-site conditions.

Creating a Geotechnical and Structural Monitoring Program

Next, a customized monitoring plan needs to be developed. This plan should address specific, well-defined questions and objectives and include appropriate tools to provide accurate information.

It is important not to copy or use monitoring programs from other projects without a detailed analysis of the on-site situation.

Contracting Geotechnical and Structural Monitoring Services

Seek to collaborate with a dedicated, specialized, and professional partner who truly knows what they are doing. It is important to look at their reputation, portfolio, demonstrated expertise, and supporting evidence. For example, certifications such as the laboratory authorization for testing and analysis in construction, ISO or compliance with quality standards should not be overlooked.

Geotechnical and structural monitoring is not a process to be left to just anyone: it’s not about „just putting a sensor here” or „selling another piece of equipment”. This mindset will not provide any real benefit or value to your construction project. Given that this is a long-term service, it is crucial to choose carefully and with full knowledge.

Using Modern Technologies

Like any other field, geotechnical and structural monitoring has evolved significantly. Today, there is a vast array of technology and digital tools that make monitoring easier, more efficient, and more precise, providing truly high-quality and accurate data.

Do not shy away from using technology. Monitoring today employs sensors for deformation, pressure, or vibration to manually or real-time monitor the behavior of a construction. The data obtained is highly precise and can help you identify problems before they become critical or incur high costs.

Explore automation and AI for predictive analytics and automated alerts. AI can help in identifying patterns and predicting potential structural issues before they escalate. Remember: this is not science fiction, it is the level of development and evolution of the industry today.

Compliance with Current Regulations

Romania has a well-documented legislation on geotechnical and structural monitoring or on tracking the behavior of buildings over time, P130/99 and NP 074/2022 being the most relevant. Information is readily available, so the old excuse of „I didn’t know” cannot protect us from responsibility in the event of an incident or accident due to structural issues.

Monitoring activities should comply with current legislation (which clearly specifies things such as frequency, responsible parties, project stages to consider etc.) to ensure compliance.

Periodic Reporting and Communication

The reporting system is also extremely important. Especially since decisions are based on information and data received from monitoring, it is crucial to ensure that reports are not received „yesterday” when they are needed now. Additionally, the data must be interpreted to turn it into actionable information and accompanied by recommendations for interventions and concrete measures if necessary.

Maintenance of Equipment

Geotechnical and structural monitoring activities also involve regular maintenance of equipment. For data accuracy, optimal functioning and correct instrumentation are required. Ongoing support and maintenance are something any monitoring partner should ensure right from the start.

Behind geotechnical and structural monitoring activities, there are several important factors to consider. All the criteria above must be integrated and ensured for a developer or investor to have a structurally healthy project.

RPC Talks with Mariana Garștea, General Manager, Sixense Romania
RPC Talks with Mariana Garștea, General Manager, Sixense Romania 2560 1999 ROMANIA PROPERTY CLUB

RPC Talks to Mariana Garștea

General Manager, Sixense Romania

Profile of the company

We’ve been on the Romanian market since 2010, when Sixense Group, a global leader in the field, opened a local branch, primarily motivated, at that time, by a series of complex projects, including the First Section – Line 5, and Line 4 of the Bucharest metro.

Briefly put, we operate in the field of structural health of the built environment, or in other words, we provide expertise and digital solutions for monitoring the behavior of constructions over time, during both construction and operation.

Our portfolio includes numerous projects from various industries. We work both in the private sector, where we have significant expertise in office, retail, and industrial categories, and in the public sector, where we handle complex infrastructure projects – transportation, sports, or healthcare, to name just a few.

Most representative projects in the portfolio

Some of our most representative projects, to name just a few examples, are: the First Section – Line 5 of the Bucharest Metro, the Daneș and Sighișoara Tunnels, Line 4 of the Bucharest Metro, the New Agigea Bridge, Arcul de Triumf National Rugby Stadium, Steaua Football Stadium, Târnava Bridge, Ulmeni Bridge, Neo Floreasca Lake, Aviației Tower, The Light, Millo 6, Tandem, Sema Park, Țiriac Tower, Ana Tower, Green Court C, and many others.

Solutions for real estate sector

For real estate, we offer comprehensive solutions for monitoring construction projects over time, both during execution and in operation. What does this mean? It means that through what we do, we ensure that a project is safe, behaves as originally designed, and meets all quality standards.

During execution, we ensure that neighboring constructions are not affected and that all work on the new construction proceeds safely. And in operation, we ensure that the building behaves within parameters, is not affected by risks (vibrations, extreme temperatures, wind etc., to name just a few), and does not degrade (with the appearance of cracks or settlements, as frequent phenomena) or become a structural hazard to the community, given the natural aging process it undergoes.

Sometimes, when justified, monitoring the behavior of constructions over time may even involve implementing an automated, real-time monitoring solution. This means that sensors are deployed in the field, transmitting data to a digital platform, which automatically transforms them into valuable, useful information, easily understandable for all stakeholders involved in the project. Additionally, this system also entails real-time alerts whenever there is a danger or safety thresholds are exceeded. All of these help us intervene proactively, before a major incident or accident occurs. This process also helps streamline the investment and better plan maintenance and upkeep operations for a building.

Development plans

We are currently in a growth phase, but we aim for this scaling to be as healthy and sustainable as possible, without compromising the quality of services we offer and the work we do. In 2023, our business grew by 50%, and we are pleased to have now a team of over 25 people, which has doubled in the past year. Also, our concern for quality and the rigor of what we do – especially because we work with sensitive and critical information for the current state of the built environment – has led us to certify on several ISO standards, aiming to align internally with the same work standards. And when I talk about these certifications, it’s important to say that for us, they are not just obtained „on paper”, but we actually follow all the procedures, protocols, and recommendations that come along with them.

And because we are aware that the people in our team are the most important in the work we do – with their ability to be partners, to explain and guide – we focus heavily and invest in training and development, in order to provide them with all the skills they need to carry out their work in the best and most customer-oriented manner possible. In our profession, in addition to exceptional mastery of new technologies and a deep understanding of technical information, soft skills and good interaction with others are also needed.

Many important things are coming up for us this year, both in terms of developing our office in Bucharest and the projects that await us. We will provide more information very soon about all of these.

© Romania Property Club, 2025 — All rights reserved.

Start Typing