Abstract
The article investigates the causes of the Morandi viaduct collapse in Genoa. This three-span viaduct was a part of the A10 motorway leading to Savona. The structure design of the viaduct supports and diagonal stay cables was unique. The viaduct included three cable-stayed system, each supported a three-span continuous beam by two sets of prestressed concrete cables on the two sides of the pylon across the width. The pair of V shapes piers supported upside-down V pylons that supported the top ends of two pairs of diagonal stay cables. The stays were constructed from steel cables with prestressed concrete shells poured on. This article provides information on the technical condition of the viaduct and the way of strengthening the cables in the early 1990s. At that time, the author of the article visited the structure. In August 2018, the viaduct collapse occurred, and one of the structure supports collapsed. In June 2019, during the demolition process, the other two supports were destroyed. Since in Venezuela and Libya there are still two more bridges with a structure similar to that in Italy, the concept of strengthening the structure, as proposed by the author of the article 25 years ago, may still be useful.
Highlights
Manfred from In theJanuary first reportby assessed whether Wicke the from the Theand firstdiscussed report assessed whether repair works carriedUniversity out on theofstructure were sufficient corrosion of thethe repair works carried out the structure were report sufficient and discussed strands in the diagonal stayon cable, while the other evaluated whether corrosion the design of forthe in the diagonal stay cable, report evaluated whether the design for astrands strengthening of the diagonal staywhile cablethe wasother correct
Characteristics of the Diagonal Stay Cable According to the Author
In 1993, the author of the paper was a participant of the 31st IRI (Istituto per la RicosRicostruzione Industriale) course organized in Italy for bridge experts from different truzione Industriale) course organized in Italy for bridge experts from different countries
Summary
The Polcevera Viaduct in Genoa was designed by Riccardo Morandi (1902–1989), a professor of civil engineering at the universities in Rome and Florence. Morandi had designed many civil buildings and he was an avid supporter of the use of pre-stressed concrete in engineering structures, including bridges. In the 1960s and 1970s, he designed three similar pre-stressed bridges of unique structure. Extensive information about the viaduct in Genoa can be found in the study by Morandi in 1968 [1], while the design parameters of the three bridge structures designed by Prof. Morandi received many international awards for his design of buildings and bridges, including the honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Munich in 1979.
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