A City United by Steel
«Made of steel, but forged in the wind».
This is how the creator, the world famous-architect Renzo Piano, describes the new San Giorgio Bridge in Genoa. It was built on the site of the collapsed Morandi Bridge and made using steel produced by Metinvest's plants in Italy and Ukraine.
This is how the creator, the world famous-architect Renzo Piano, describes the new San Giorgio Bridge in Genoa. It was built on the site of the collapsed Morandi Bridge and made using steel produced by Metinvest's plants in Italy and Ukraine.
Tragedy
On
an August morning in 2018, a severe thunderstorm overwhelmed the Italian port city of Genoa. It was a
terrible morning: the central section of the viaduct connecting two parts of the city and linking Liguria
to the port and the main European transport corridors collapsed.
Genoa resident Roberto Re clearly remembers the morning of 14 August. "My whole family and I were absolutely shocked, and my first thoughts were about my younger sister, who drives from the centre of Genoa to the western part of the city every morning, passing over the Morandi Bridge. I immediately called her, she was fine, but she started crying on the phone like a child," recalls Roberto.
Genoa resident Roberto Re clearly remembers the morning of 14 August. "My whole family and I were absolutely shocked, and my first thoughts were about my younger sister, who drives from the centre of Genoa to the western part of the city every morning, passing over the Morandi Bridge. I immediately called her, she was fine, but she started crying on the phone like a child," recalls Roberto.
More than three dozen cars
were trapped in the wreckage of the bridge. The tragedy claimed the lives of 43 people.
The bridge spanned the
Polcevera River and railway tracks. One part of the concrete structure fell from a 50-metre height into
the river and the other fell into the industrial zone.
More than three dozen cars were trapped in the wreckage of the bridge. The tragedy claimed the lives of 43 people. First in Genoa, and then throughout Italy, a period of mourning was declared. As a result of the catastrophe, one of the main symbols of Genoa was lost.
The tragedy affected the port operation and freight traffic activities: business losses amounted to more than 70%.
More than three dozen cars were trapped in the wreckage of the bridge. The tragedy claimed the lives of 43 people. First in Genoa, and then throughout Italy, a period of mourning was declared. As a result of the catastrophe, one of the main symbols of Genoa was lost.
The tragedy affected the port operation and freight traffic activities: business losses amounted to more than 70%.
"The Genoese
people called it 'our Brooklyn Bridge'. We left it behind every time we went on vacation, and it was
the first thing we saw as soon as we returned. I have been traveling across this bridge to work for
the last twenty years"
Roberto Re
Reinforced
concrete Morandi
concrete Morandi
The viaduct was built in the 1960s and named after its designer, the Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi.
The bridge was considered the pinnacle of engineering at that time, while Morandi himself was known as a
practitioner who used reinforced concrete in his structures.
The Genoese bridge epitomised Morandi's signature style: 12 pre-stressed reinforced concrete bridge pillars descending from three A-shaped towers to the roadway.
The Genoese bridge epitomised Morandi's signature style: 12 pre-stressed reinforced concrete bridge pillars descending from three A-shaped towers to the roadway.
This
was
Morandi Bridge
before the tragedy
Morandi Bridge
before the tragedy
In total, the bridge stood
for a little over 50 years.
Italian authorities and
experts contend that the bridges destruction was caused by a confluence of a lack of capital repairs and
inadequate maintenance. In addition, reinforced concrete structures have begun to collapse due to
moisture and the vibration caused by cars. In total, the bridge stood for a little over 50 years.
Notably, the Morandi's most famous works – the 8-kilometre Puente Rafael Urdaneta Bridge spanning Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela and the Wadi el-Kuf Bridge in Libya – also met an unfortunate end. The former collapsed after a tanker collided with it, while the latter was shut down for security reasons.
About a year after the tragedy, the remains of the Morandi Bridge were blown up in order to build a new one in its place.
Notably, the Morandi's most famous works – the 8-kilometre Puente Rafael Urdaneta Bridge spanning Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela and the Wadi el-Kuf Bridge in Libya – also met an unfortunate end. The former collapsed after a tanker collided with it, while the latter was shut down for security reasons.
About a year after the tragedy, the remains of the Morandi Bridge were blown up in order to build a new one in its place.
Steel San
Giorgio
The world-famous Genoese architect Renzo Piano designed the new San Giorgio Bridge. He is considered a
founder of the high-tech style. This trend is characterised by complex simplicity: functionality and
practicality, high technology, a combination of glass, metal and concrete, as well as iron-grey colour.
Piano is the creator of the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Shard skyscraper in London, the latter of
which was built using Metinvest steel.
Genoa is a large European port that is home to the shipyard of the world's largest shipbuilder, Fincantieri. Therefore, following the architect's idea, the bridge resembles a large white ship soaring over the valley. The Genoa native considers the bridge a symbol of connection, the function of which is to integrate physically and socially.
Genoa is a large European port that is home to the shipyard of the world's largest shipbuilder, Fincantieri. Therefore, following the architect's idea, the bridge resembles a large white ship soaring over the valley. The Genoa native considers the bridge a symbol of connection, the function of which is to integrate physically and socially.
"The poet Giorgio Caproni
wrote about Genoa as a city of iron and air. I would like for people to talk about this
bridge like that. This bridge was made of steel, but forged in the wind"
Renzo Piano
project architect
project architect
In commemoration of everyone
who died in the catastrophe, the bridge is surrounded by 43 illumination lamps.
The bridge is a solid steel
road stretching a little longer than a kilometre with 19 spans. It has 18 reinforced concrete pillars
spaced 50 metres apart, except for the span over the Polcevera River and the adjacent ones, where the
pillars are installed at a 100-metre distance from each other.
This is a smart bridge: robots will monitor the status of all parts of the structure, while photovoltaic panels, capturing sunlight and generating energy for the bridge, will illuminate it. In commemoration of everyone who died in the catastrophe, the bridge is surrounded by 43 illumination lamps.
This is a smart bridge: robots will monitor the status of all parts of the structure, while photovoltaic panels, capturing sunlight and generating energy for the bridge, will illuminate it. In commemoration of everyone who died in the catastrophe, the bridge is surrounded by 43 illumination lamps.
Construction
of the year
of the year
The construction of the bridge at the cost of EUR202 million was entrusted to Pergenova, a joint venture
between Salini Impregilo and Fincantieri Infrastructure. The latter is part of Fincantieri Group, a major
shipbuilder that Metinvest has been supplying shipbuilding steel for the construction of cruise liners and
warships for 15 years.
"In such a construction,
steel is the only material capable of providing strength, reliability and durability for a long time.
Metinvest guarantees very high quality standards, as well as long-term supply reliability. In this
project, it was important to find a supplier of steel with such properties"
Siro Dal Zotto
Chief Operational Officer of Fincantieri Infrastructure, project manager for the bridge
Chief Operational Officer of Fincantieri Infrastructure, project manager for the bridge
For the bridge's construction, Metinvest supplied 18,500 tonnes of steel, which is 95% of the total amount
of steel used in the structure. Semi-finished products were produced at Azovstal in Mariupol and
high-strength rolled products were made at Trametal in San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy.
For this project especially, Metinvest underwent all possible safety checks and product quality tests by Fincantieri and RINA. The steel products supplied were additionally tested by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, a railway company. Independent inspectors certified 70% of the products. The project was managed by a team of 20 people with various functions from Ukraine and Italy.
For this project especially, Metinvest underwent all possible safety checks and product quality tests by Fincantieri and RINA. The steel products supplied were additionally tested by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, a railway company. Independent inspectors certified 70% of the products. The project was managed by a team of 20 people with various functions from Ukraine and Italy.
Metinvest supplied 18,500
tonnes of steel, which is 95% of the total amount of steel used in the structure
The rolled products for the
bridge surface were quickly delivered to the Fincantieri plants, where they were used to produce steel
structures that were further assembled and welded in Sestri Ponente, an industrial suburb of Genoa.
Moreover, the manufacture of each span was completed on the ground, which made it possible to minimise
work at height. As a result, the bridge construction took only a year.
"The headquarters of
Metinvest in Europe is located in Genoa, it employs 60 people, and this tragedy was felt in the most
direct way. I was born in Genoa and love my city very much. I have to say that this project will be
the most remarkable in my 25 years of work in the metallurgical industry. The entire Metinvest team
and I are very proud to be part of this important milestone for Genoa, for our partner Fincantieri and
for the whole of Italy"
Roberto
Re
Managing Director of Metinvest Europe
Managing Director of Metinvest Europe
The bridge
opening was a momentous event for Italy: the highest-ranking public officials, including the President
and Prime Minister, joined the ceremony. Just before the opening, as on the day of the tragedy, it
started raining, albeit briefly. In a moment, the sky cleared and blessed the bridge with a rainbow.
