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Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:00 pm
by Capetonian
- Genoa, June 25 - Work began on a new road bridge in Genoa Tuesday replacing one that collapsed last August killing 43 people.
The ship-shaped bridge has been designed by starchitect Renzo Piano in a gift to his native city.
State-controlled shipbuilding giant Fincantieri is the lead player in the construction of the new bridge, even though infrastructure is not its normal field.
On Tuesday the first dollop of cement was poured into the foundation of the new structure.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli had the honour of pressing the button top start the pour.
It will take several hours to lay the first foundation for the first pillar of the new futuristic structure.
Toninelli said "we have pledged some one billion euros for Genoa".

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:21 am
by OFSO
The towers are due to be explosively demolished at nine am local time this morning. Four thousand people have been evacuated. Genoa will come to a standstill.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:29 am
by Capetonian
Being broadcast live on RAI TV 1.
Bet they'll stuff it up somehow. Hopefully noone gets hurt

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:56 am
by G-CPTN
In preparation for the operation, which is scheduled to take place at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

Live streaming of RAI TV 1 only available in Italy.

Genoa bridge: Towers to be demolished with explosives

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:03 am
by Capetonian
I'm watching it on my IPTV box, not in Italy.

Nothing happening so far, they're talking about invaders landing on Lampedusa.

Update : Still nothing, but they keep interrupting the commentary from Genoa with weather forecasts, and the presenter is a man in what looks like a full Air Force uniform, complete with medals and bars.

0737Z :
Gone, massive clouds of dust and spray.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:27 am
by OFSO
A private organisation set up two webcams overlooking the bridge and streamed live on YouTube, with however a considerable delay. Background conversations over the open mike were interesting.

From a distance looked like the blocks of apartments escaped. And the curtain of water looked useful.

A car drove along the road by the railway line some time before the event, probably checking the site.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:09 am
by Capetonian
Possibly not much better in France.
‘Safety issues’ for 25,000 bridges in France
The report investigated the state of bridges in France and has called for urgent repairs

At least 25,000 bridges in France have “safety issues”, a new report from senators has found, less than a year after the Morandi bridge collapse disaster in Genoa, Italy.

The report was commissioned by the French Senate following the collapse of the Morandi motorway viaduct in Genoa, Italy, in August 2018, which killed 43 people.

The report has now called for an urgent “Marshall plan” to be put in place to begin rapid repairs.

Presided over by centrist Eure senator Hervé Maurey, it said: “At least 25,000 bridges are in a poor structural state and present issues of safety and usability for users.”

It added: “Damage to bridges has greatly increased over the past 10 years”, attributing this to aging post-war construction, and “chronic under-investment in heritage maintenance”.

Of the 25,000 bridges identified, 7% are managed by the State, of which 2,800 have been deemed “at the end of their life”. More than 8% of departmentally-managed bridges were judged “problematic”, along with 18-20% of commune and inter-commune crossings.

The viaduct of Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine) had already been identified as requiring urgent attention, following the collapse of a supporting wall in May 2018.

Yet, the report admitted that it was not certain of the exact number of crossings in France. It estimated that there are between 200,000-250,000.

Senators said they were astonished to see “the absence of a comprehensive record of all bridges managed by local and regional authorities”, and said this showed “shortcomings in the [national] monitoring and maintenance policy".

In May 2018, transport minister Elisabeth Borne admitted that France had “bridges that were not all new”.

Now, senators are calling for €120 million to be invested by 2020 - up from the €45 million average invested in recent years - and for the creation of a new €1.3 billion local authority fund over the next 10 years (€130 million each year for 10 years).

The report has recommended that a wider assessment be carried out across all local bridges, and for renovation works to begin urgently on those found to be in a poor state.

Senators have also called for more unified “heritage management of bridges”, including an improved monitoring system for necessary works.

They also said that it would be necessary “for regional areas to offer engineering support to smaller areas”, and supported a plan that would bring together work management at an intercommunal or even departmental-wide level.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:00 pm
by OFSO
So I'm right to shudder inwardly driving over the gorge at Le Perthuis on the NII when entering France ! An old and high bridge, that.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:49 am
by OFSO
Seemingly dropping the bridge was a huge success. Fell just where intended and the clouds of cement dust and some asbestos were 85% confined. Well done !

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 7:57 pm
by Tall Bird
Crossing Continents on BBC Radio 4 - Genoa's Broken Bridge:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0007cvc

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 7:28 am
by Capetonian
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-49332175
The 'poetry of concrete' and the tragedy of a broken bridge

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07k2rsb
Listen to Genoa's Broken Bridge on BBC Sounds

Having read the article above, it's a miracle that the bridge hadn't collapsed earlier. I still shudder when I think of the times we've driven over it and I always felt it there was something inherently unsound about it.

Re: Bridge collapse near Genoa (IT)

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:04 pm
by Capetonian
Programme now on National Geographic