Abstract
Abstract. The development of the railways network in the 19th century represented a significant scenario for the technological advancement of the entire Italian building sector; consequently, it produced a relevant renewal of construction techniques. Icons of this robust infrastructure building program were the railway bridges built over the Po river; their construction represented an arduous technological challenge. Unfortunately, in the years following the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy the national industry was disorganized and unprepared to face this ambitious challenge; indeed, the first four bridges were built by foreign companies that could guarantee the necessary technological know-how. However, the industrial scenario immediately changed and the last two bridges were designed and built by Italian engineers and steelwork companies. The railway bridges over the River Po are now lost; the changing needs of railway traffic or bombings during the Second World War unavoidably led to their demolition. Their enhancement through 3d modelling and virtual representation is fundamental for the rediscovering of the role they played not only in the construction of the national infrastructural system but also in the life of the young state. To this aim, the paper proposes the outcomes of research that explores the potentialities of 3d software with Visual Programming Language (VPL), in order to create modelling tools useful for the disclosure and dissemination of the historical value of this lost heritage.
Highlights
The research area focusing on the development of Italian railway network was only in part investigated by construction history (Carughi and Guida, 2003; Iori et al, 2015; Nascè, 1982; Zordan, 2006; Zorgno, 1988); it represented in the 19th century a privileged scenario for the technological advancement of the entire national building sector; it produced a significant renewal of construction techniques
The innovative aspect of the research consists of the definition of an open and free algorithm, expandable and able to make 3d models of a wide range of tubular iron truss bridges (Bianconi and Filicci, 2021) The algorithm is organized in several parts: the first one consists of the input section for the insertion of data and it is arranged into subsections, respectively related to spans, geometry, size of trusses and decks, sections of iron profiles used for iron members
Some exceptions are not yet well implemented in the algorithm's architecture, for example particular components such as lateral sidewalks or the complex drawing of diagonal transverse struts that at this stage can be only displayed in a simplified version - or lateral balustrades on the upper level
Summary
The research area focusing on the development of Italian railway network was only in part investigated by construction history (Carughi and Guida, 2003; Iori et al, 2015; Nascè, 1982; Zordan, 2006; Zorgno, 1988); it represented in the 19th century a privileged scenario for the technological advancement of the entire national building sector; it produced a significant renewal of construction techniques. According to best practices regarding HBIM methodology, the paper aims to show the results of a study addressed to the definition of a VPL (Visual Programming Language) algorithm (Dore et al, 2013; Dore et al, 2019) This tool can be useful to model a large variety of case studies, focusing primarily on railway bridges over the Po. Unlike the traditional workflow of HBIM operational methodologies, not all the aspects of this experimental area were used (Andriasyan et al, 2020; Brumana et al 2013; García Valldecabres, 2017; Murphy et al 2013); in particular, the execution of point cloud surveys was impossible because the bridges were demolished more than a half century ago. The innovative aspect of the research consists of the definition of an open and free algorithm, expandable and able to make 3d models of a wide range of tubular iron truss bridges (Bianconi and Filicci, 2021) The algorithm is organized in several parts: the first one consists of the input section for the insertion of data and it is arranged into subsections, respectively related to spans (number, width and length), geometry, size of trusses and decks, sections of iron profiles used for iron members
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
