The Technological Center for New Developments in Trenchless Technologies was established in 2012 as a joint project of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD, Kazanlak Municipality and the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy – Sofia. It was realized with the financial support of OP “Competitiveness” and is located on the territory of Ivan Hadzhienov Vocational School in Kazanlak.
The objective is to combine the efforts of business, science and practice for the creation, development and promotion in the country of new ecological products and technologies so that the underground pipeline infrastructure conforms with the standards adopted in the EU.
Similar centers (but more academically than practically oriented) exist only in Arizona State University and Luisiana Tech University in USA.
The technological center has a test area, where “live” demonstrations of inspection, cleaning and rehabilitation of typical water-mains and sewers are held, new materials, machines and technologies are tested.
The properties of the tested materials are determined in the laboratory of the center for the purpose of quality control of rehabilitations implemented out of the center and assessment of the results from experiments with new materials. The center organizes training of students and young professionals from the water and construction sectors, specialists from municipalities and water companies, contractors, and also organizes specialized training on designing trenchless rehabilitations using different technologies.