Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A builder is a person in a helmet and overalls who lays a wall of bricks. Do you immediately have this image too? In honor of Builder's Day, which was celebrated in Russia on August 10, we talked to a graduate and assistant of the RUDN Construction Department, candidate of technical sciences, employee of the VNIIZhelezobeton Institute Georgy Tikhonov. He told us what other stereotypes there are about builders, what representatives of the profession are scolded for, and what skills and knowledge his future colleagues need.
Tell us a little about yourself: why did you go to study construction? Maybe you have a family dynasty? Were you drawn to this field since childhood or did you make the choice in your teens?
In my family, almost everyone is a teacher to one degree or another, and some had and have a direct relationship with construction. For example, I am a distant relative of Professor Alexander Volzhensky, the creator of gypsum-cement-pozzolanic binders, who taught at MGSU. And my father, Doctor of Science and Professor Igor Tikhonov, has worked for many years at JSC NIC Stroitelstvo, developing and implementing innovative types of reinforcement for reinforced concrete.
To be honest, I don’t remember what I was drawn to as a child. As a teenager, I went to art school and was thinking of going to sculpture at Surikovka. Many of my classmates from the art school also went into architecture, so I gave in to this passion. I completed my bachelor’s degree at RUDN as an architect. In my master’s degree, I transferred to construction, so the choice was made at a conscious age. The thing is that while still a bachelor, I did an internship at the A.A. Gvozdev Research Institute of Iron and Concrete, and practical scientific work seemed incredibly interesting to me: I studied structural deformations in practice, developed new types of reinforcement, and traveled to interesting sites.
You have gone through the whole path at RUDN: bachelor's, master's, postgraduate studies, defended your candidate's dissertation, and now you teach. What does this "vertical" connection with the university mean to you? How would student Georgy rate teacher Georgy?
At RUDN I met wonderful people from different departments, with whom I am still friends and in close contact. I can say that I spent almost half my life at the university and I do not regret it at all. I think that I was very lucky to find a university where you can go all the way to science from start to finish, not only study, but also realize yourself professionally. Now I work at the department part-time as an assistant, so I do not teach as much as I would like. As a teacher, I am interested in disciplines at the intersection of architecture and construction, so I could tell the student architect Georgy a lot of interesting things from my practical construction experience. Although, of course, the teacher Georgy still needs to master a lot in this difficult matter.
What knowledge and skills did you acquire at RUDN University that helped you succeed in your work and science?
During my Master's degree, I fully participated in conducting laboratory tests with reinforced concrete samples, and also regularly published in construction journals. These skills greatly helped me in my future work. Also, studying for a Master's degree allowed me to catch up on specialized subjects that bachelors in construction took, in particular, I mastered the calculation programs to the degree I needed. The foundation I received at RUDN still helps me in my work. Of course, I would not have been able to realize myself in science without such a patient and experienced mentor as my scientific supervisor, candidate of technical sciences Galina Okolnikova, associate professor of the Department of Construction Technologies and Structural Materials.
Defending your PhD thesis in 2024 is an important milestone in your scientific career. What current problem in the field of building materials have you worked on? How is your research useful for today's construction industry?
In my dissertation, I examined the strength, crack resistance and deformation of compressed, stretched and bent reinforced concrete elements with innovative reinforcement, to the creation of which I had a hand. The research was systematically conducted from the beginning of my master's studies and was reflected in publications, speeches and patents.
The purpose of my research was to summarize the results of many years of work on the development and implementation of new reinforcement, which will allow both the manufacturer and the designer to save significantly due to the unique properties of its profile (i.e. the location of the ribs on its surface), which not only has high adhesion rates to concrete, but also allows the rods to be joined using easy-to-manufacture threaded couplings instead of the traditional overlap connection and labor-intensive welding. Today, in Russia and, perhaps, in the world, there is no such universal and easy-to-manufacture reinforcement product. I also see great benefit in using this reinforcement in earthquake-resistant construction.
In addition to the patent for the reinforcement itself, I am a co-author of patents for the coupling connection and various methods of its use in construction, in particular, as reinforcement for the reinforced concrete shell of a nuclear power plant reactor.
What subject do you teach at RUDN? Do you give students examples from real projects of the institute, your work experience?
At the university, I teach various subjects: stone structures, engineering structures, architectural structures. Real practical experience helps a lot in teaching, allows me to supplement information from manuals and textbooks with personal observations, share interesting stories. When appropriate, I always give examples from work to cover certain topics in the subjects I teach.
What qualities do you, as a practitioner and scientist, consider the most important for a modern construction engineer? And what skills and competencies should he have?
I believe that the most important qualities for a modern civil engineer are the ability to think creatively, obtain information and present it correctly. Theoretical knowledge is also very important in our work; one “engineering thought” is not enough here. Among the necessary skills, I would highlight the ability to understand regulatory documents, read them correctly and the need to promptly update these documents due to innovations in legislation, established standards, etc. I also believe that builders should be able to communicate with their colleagues. In large research organizations, it happens that departments do not communicate with each other, and some innovations, achievements, developments of one department may not reach another for several years. Therefore, it is important for a builder to monitor the emergence of new technologies and build bridges with his colleagues.
What stereotypes about builders have you encountered?
The main stereotype is that a builder is a person in a helmet and overalls who works directly on a construction site. But this is not entirely true. Of course, we have to visit the construction site, control the process, take the necessary measurements. But still, a builder is a designer, an engineer, and a researcher. The concept is very broad, the profession has many specializations. Our work is not limited to the construction site. The second stereotype is that we are techies to the core, boring people who think only about numbers and strength of materials, they are alien to beauty. This is absolutely not true. A lot of people come to construction from creative professions, for example, from architecture. We are all different, you can't cut us all with the same comb.
Why do you think people often criticize builders, complain that they build houses and roads poorly?
I think there is some responsibility here. The specialists in our field are responsible for selecting materials for construction, for choosing the structures used, for calculating these structures. We must also calculate the negative impact of weather and other conditions on materials and structures. All this is our area of responsibility, and mistakes, flaws, sometimes even tragic ones, happen in it. However, people often classify general workers as builders, in whose behavior at the site the human factor plays an important role. Unfortunately, there are often cases when general workers and other specialists at the construction site do not observe safety precautions, the technique for performing certain works. Or they do their work carelessly, sloppily. Another problem arises when customers try to save on everything. And sometimes builders have to choose cheaper and lower-quality materials in such conditions in order to stay within the budget.
How do you think the profession of a builder will change in the next 10-15 years? What technologies are decisive, and how can we prepare students for this now?
I think that over time we will increasingly delegate routine design work to the computer. The engineer's work will be connected with the optimization of computer calculations by introducing various innovative technologies. So the main emphasis, as it seems to me, should be given to studying specialized programs.
What kind of specialists does the construction industry need right now?
In my opinion, our field is in great need of scientists now. We have a lot of designers, but we don’t have enough of those who could work in the same research institutes, those who could develop and implement new technologies, new materials. And our scientific environment is quite old now. And sometimes veterans of science have no one to pass on their knowledge to. This also applies to software, programs for all kinds of construction calculations. We need more people who will be engaged in theoretical construction science and implement new achievements in practice.
What personal goals have you set for the future? Perhaps it is some new research or an important construction project with your participation?
Now, I think I have come to my senses after defending my PhD thesis and am ready for new challenges. In the near future, my father, Igor Nikolaevich, and I are planning to publish a book about reinforced concrete. Otherwise, I am trying to master the distantly familiar, but still new profession of a test engineer, personally conducting the tests that I used to watch from the outside.
And the last question – what is Builder's Day for you? And what would you like to wish to RUDN students who will soon become your colleagues?
For me, Builder's Day is an occasion to write something nice to my father and colleagues. I am glad that there is a holiday that I can associate myself with. I would like to wish RUDN construction students to never miss the opportunities that life, study and career give them. It is better to try and get bumps than to sit quietly and regret.
About the direction "Construction" at RUDN
In total, 619 people are currently studying at RUDN in the Construction program in the bachelor's, master's and preparatory departments. Of these, 460 are full-time, 76 are part-time and 83 are part-time.
The students include citizens of 55 countries: Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Egypt, Mongolia, Turkey and other countries.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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