Today, we find ourselves in the office of Dr. Petar Sesar, M.Sc.CE, where exactly 45 years ago, on March 6th, 1979, he began his career at IGH. Exactly 50 years ago, Mr. Petar Sesar came to Zagreb to study civil engineering. During his final year of studies, he was noticed by Professor Dekanović, who recommended him to the Institut IGH. At that time, IGH was part of the university, and Petar also received a recommendation from the director of the metal constructions department, E. Hemerich.
Petar was offered a field job in the supervision of the construction of the R. Bogojevo bridge and design from Marjan Košćak, head of the bridge department. Considering Petar's passion for design, it was a simple decision that would later shape his extraordinary career.
"At that time, the department looked a little different. There were no computers or AutoCAD. The department had so-called 'drawing boards,' where drawings were done collectively. I realized how much of an opportunity I had to learn because knowledge was shared. This is something that sets the IGH Institute apart from others. It has always been a gathering place for interested and curious minds open to ideas and innovations," Petar recalls. "At the same time, I became an assistant to Professor Tonković, from whom I later inherited the sense of shaping. At that time, the construction of the Krk Bridge, which was then the longest concrete arch bridge in the world (390m), had just finished, and I got the opportunity to work with Professor Šram from Mostgradnja, Belgrade."
"After that, I worked with Professor Čandrić, who gained global specialization in Germany," says Petar, continuing, "I always loved working on constructions. There is something magical about symmetry. But bridges fascinated me because you practically design everything yourself, from start to finish. And at IGH, there is always something new, where you have to be both a forensic and an engineering doctor," explains Petar.
When it comes to projects he worked on, Petar highlights several that are particularly dear to him. Among them are panel calculations on the Adriatic Bridge, rehabilitation of bearings on the Krk Bridge, bridges in Karlovac, the bridge over the Drava River, and Drežnik Bridge over the Kupa River. "Among the competition works, my favorites are the Homeland Bridge and Čiovo Bridge, where we won second prizes, and the Jarun and Bundek bridges, where we received a redemption award," says Petar.
At the end of the conversation, Petar talks about the changes he has seen at the IGH Institute over the years: "The Institute has always been a center of knowledge that has brought knowledge to Croatia, taught others, and exported knowledge. It has always invested in knowledge, expertise, and novelties. Such an environment is stimulating. Construction and bridge building have progressed a lot since then. I am proud knowing that I worked with people who were part of that progress and with people who are now working on innovations."
Petar Sesar is a living example of dedication, expertise, and invaluable experience nurtured by the IGH Institute for 75 years. His extraordinary career has been marked by numerous successes and projects that have shaped the Croatian construction industry. On this occasion, we congratulate Petar on his 45th anniversary and look forward to witnessing his future endeavors and contributions to the construction industry.
Read more about it here: https://gradevinski-portal.com/razgovarali-smo-s-covjekom-koji-je-zasluzan-za-izgradnju-svih-vaznih-mostova-u-hrvatskoj/
