Conserving Pier Luigi Nervi’s ferroconcrete

Abstract

The recent restorations conducted on the La Giuseppa motorboat (1972) and the warehouse in the Magliana district (1944) have revealed some secrets of ferroconcrete, the material developed by Pier Luigi Nervi between the Thirties and the late Fifties. Ferroconcrete was a composite material consisting of layers of wire mesh embedded with dense concrete incorporating fine aggregates. The new compound, protected by two subsequent patents between 1943 and 1944, perfected while working on the construction of some fishing boats, showed homogenous properties and allowed construction of complex, thin surfaces without the use of any wood formwork. The first application of the new material to building work was a warehouse in Rome: made entirely of ferroconcrete, including the roof, 3 cm in thickness, it was shaped in waves. Currently used as a car park, the building was subjected to extensive conservation works in the early months of 2013, following the success of the intervention method used for the La Giuseppa ferroconcrete motorboat. The study is part of the EU-funded research Sixxi – Structural Engineering in the Twentieth Century: the Italian contribution, ERC Advanced Grant 2011. Italcementi has provided the financial and technical support to the restoration.