RINA Consulting starts to lower Morandi Bridge sections

Deconstruction of the collapsed Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, has begun, according to RINA Consulting.

The first bridge deck section was lowered to the ground from a height of 48m, said Roberto Carpaneto, chief executive of RINA which is responsible for design control and construction management of the project. "We are really satisfied with how this delicate operation is being conducted with the whole construction team working as one to guarantee the best result.”

RINA Consulting was chosen by the commissioning structure for project management, construction supervision, health and safety overview and quality assurance during the execution phase of the bridge’s demolition and the construction of the new one on the Polcevera valley.

The new 1.1km bridge has been designed by Renzo Piano and will be more than 45m high. The bridge should be open to traffic my mid 2020.

RINA provides services across the energy, marine, certification, transport and infrastructure sectors. Turnover in 2017 was €437 million and the group has around 3,700 employees and 170 offices in 65 countries.

 The longest span of the 1.18km bridge was 210m and the structure had a 40m clearance above the river Polcevera. It was opened in 1967 officially as the Polcevera Viaduct and was part of the A10 motorway as well as European route E80.

It featured diagonal cable-stays with vertical trestle-like supports made up of sets of Vs. One set carrying the roadway deck, while the other pair of inverted Vs supported the top ends of two pairs of diagonal stay cables.

The bridge was closed to traffic in August last year after the longest span collapsed during a major storm, killing 43 people. The bridge had a history of high maintenance costs.