Italy - Bridge collapses on Genoa highway, 14 Aug 2018 *charges*

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I heard about this after spending a day wandering around Rome. We'd been marvelling at the buildings and monuments still standing 2000 years after being built. And then we got back to the hotel and heard about this "only" 50 year old bridge, a youngster compared to what we'd seen that day. The Italians we spoke to about it were pretty upset, they said there are many bridges like this that make them pray.
 
Genoa bridge designer warned in 1979 that it was in danger from rust and would need constant repair – as firefighters abandon work after hearing creaking from the remains of collapsed structure

The designer of the Genoa bridge that collapsed and killed 43 people last week had warned that the structure would require constant repairs - four decades ago.

Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi wrote in 1979 - 12 years after the bridge was opened - that it would have to undergo continuous maintenance to remove rust, given the effects of corrosion from sea air and pollution on the concrete.

The report has been unveiled by Italian media as authorities suspended an operation allowing evacuated residents to fetch belongings from the flats underneath the bridge due to 'creaking noises'.

Firefighters stopped the work after hearing noises from the bridge, fearing another collapse.
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Italy bridge designer warned in 1979 of risk of corrosion | Daily Mail Online

Something is very rotten in the state of Italy, and it's not just the concrete.
 
MelmothTheLost said:
Genoa bridge designer warned in 1979 that it was in danger from rust and would need constant repair – as firefighters abandon work after hearing creaking from the remains of collapsed structure



Italy bridge designer warned in 1979 of risk of corrosion | Daily Mail Online

Something is very rotten in the state of Italy, and it's not just the concrete.
Click to expand...

I've had an absolutely lovely holiday visiting several regions and towns from north to south, and it remains one of my favourite countries.... the history, the landscape, the food and the people, all wonderful! But yeah, behind the scenes mafia / government / corruption is obviously a big problem. So tragic.
 
CoverMeCagney said:
I've had an absolutely lovely holiday visiting several regions and towns from north to south, and it remains one of my favourite countries.... the history, the landscape, the food and the people, all wonderful! But yeah, behind the scenes mafia / government / corruption is obviously a big problem. So tragic.
Click to expand...

Yep. In every town there are pickets and rallies wanting change - for one thing or another. I doubt things will change any time soon.

As an aside, some in-laws visit their relatives in Sicily who own a cement factory. It's a family joke, but is it?

Have a good time, and visit a hill town or 2 if you can.
 
Trident said:
Yep. In every town there are pickets and rallies wanting change - for one thing or another. I doubt things will change any time soon.

As an aside, some in-laws visit their relatives in Sicily who own a cement factory. It's a family joke, but is it?

Have a good time, and visit a hill town or 2 if you can.
Click to expand...

I think those cement factories definitely exist!! Sicily's on my list for next time I'm over that way.
 
The Italian engineer who designed the Genoa bridge that collapsed and killed dozens warned four decades ago that it would require constant maintenance to remove rust given the effects of corrosion from sea air and pollution on the concrete.

The engineer who designed the Genoa bridge that collapsed and killed 43 people warned of its corrosion risk 39 years ago

Morandi reaffirmed the soundness of the reinforced concrete bridge design he used but warned: "Sooner or later, maybe in a few years, it will be necessary to resort to a treatment consisting of the removal of all traces of rust on the exposure of the reinforcements, to fill in the patches."

Engineers say there have long been concerns about its unusual concrete-encased stay cables, which Morandi used in several of his bridge designs instead of the more common steel cables.
 
Collapsed Italy bridge remains to be demolished this weekend

Demolition of the Polcevera viaduct remains in Genoa, Italy, is to begin this weekend.

One of the main towers and around a 200m long section of the cable stayed viaduct, more commonly known as the Morandi Bridge, catastrophically collapsed in August this year killing 43 people.

The remaining two towers, which span over a housing development and a 150m wide section of railway tracks, will now be demolished starting from the western end.

A total of 10 construction and engineering firms will be involved in removing the remains of the bridge.

Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci also confirmed that about 100 houses near to the highways bridge will be partially or completely demolished as part of the works.

An investigation into why the bridge collapsed is ongoing. New Civil Engineer previously revealed that investigators have found corrosion on main stay cables, which is being looked at as a cause of the collapse.

A damning Italian transport ministry report released in September blamed Autostrade for the collapse saying it lacked the analytical expertise to inspect the bridge and claimed Autostrade missed “warning signs” about the bridge’s condition.
 
From September:

Genoa bridge collapse: Italian prosecutors investigate 20 people

Italian prosecutors are investigating 20 people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the motorway bridge collapse in Genoa last month.
They include managers at Autostrade, the company which managed the bridge.

Italy's government has accused Autostrade of raking in huge profits while failing to invest in motorway maintenance. This was the fifth Italian bridge collapse in five years , according to the newspaper Corriere Della Sera

There had been previous reports and comments questioning how the Morandi bridge on the A10 motorway was built, and how long it could last.

Autostrade maintains that it checked the bridge every three months using highly specialised techniques.
 
On the heels of the Key Bridge disaster in Baltimore today, I found this update on the Ponte Morandi civil case from Jan. 2024. Note: this is NOT a full settlement.
www.ansa.it

Ex-ASPI CEO Castellucci pays Morandi Bridge-disaster damages - General News - Ansa.it

Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of highways company ASPI, and nine other defendants have paid damages to civil plaintiffs in relation to the August 2018 Morandi Bridge-collapse disaster in Genoa in which 43 people died. (ANSA)
www.ansa.it www.ansa.it
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A statement by lawyers released on Tuesday at a hearing of thecriminal trial into the disaster said that Castellucci and theother defendants had agreed a settlement with the 193 civil plaintiffs.
 
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