For the first time in history, two Nations, that have a millenary tradition in skilled engineering works, unite their force. Italy of Roman aqueducts cradle of the first linking routes, with its first comforting arterial roads and China with its Great Wall, a boundless Nation accustomed to thinking big.
The purpose of their gathering is that of interweaving their own technologies in ordcer to accomplish a highly advanced type of submerged fixed crossing, the Archimedes’ Bridge.
The cultural-academic-technical alliance involves, for Italy, together with “Ponte di Archimede” SpA, chaired by Elio Matacena, an innovative technological Company, the Polytechnic of Milan and the University of Naples “Federico II”, on the Chinese side there is the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Science.
From declarations of intent there has been a passing to facts. After the first meeting of the SIJLAB Steering Committee (Sino-Italian Joint Laboratory) which took place in Beijing, the planning phase of the construction of Archimedes’ Bridge Prototype, with the intention to validate its realization and its functionality began. The SIJLAB is financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Science, in a framework of the scientific technological cooperation protocol between Italy and the People’s Republic of China signed last November.
Part of the Steering Committee for Italy is: Prof. Antonio Fiorentino (Ponte di Archimede S.p.A.), Italian Director of SIJLAB; Federico Mazzolani (University of Naples “Federico II”) ; Federico Perrotti (Polytechnic of Milan); and for the Chinese part there are: Professors of the Chinese Academy of Science, Prof. Hong Youshi, (director of the Institute of Mechanics as well as director of SIJLAB for China); Prof. Hao Jixin; Li Jiachun (president of the Steering Committee) and Liang Niagang.
“One of the crucial aspects of this first meeting – Prof. Mazzolani asserts – concerns the choice of the prototypes’ location compared to the conformation of the Lake of a Thousand Island. This lake extends for 575 Km2, double the size of the Italian Lago Maggiore (212 Km2 ).
Another aspect to deal with concerns the building characteristics of the first Archimedes’ Bridge that has to be erected. The initial Chinese proposal of a transparent belvedere tunnel, which would have also been a tourist attraction, has been discarded. Because on that type of structure it was not possible to carry out the necessary experiments which test the structural safety of the work. The prototype tunnel, a hundred meters long, will be designed during a predictable two years span of time. It will be used to tune up the installation procedures of the mooring lines which connect the floating tunnel to the seabed, 34 meters deep, and to carry out a series of statistical and dynamic tests, fundamental for the full-scale structure realization”.
“During the preliminary meeting – Prof. Perrotti explained – we have laid out a summary of the initial data concerning the physical aspects of the lake and the crossing’s morphological layout: in fact we believe to accomplish with an Archimedes’ Bridge a link between two shore points of an inlet 100 meters wide. Furthermore we have agreed upon the general characteristics of the tunnel, in geometrical and functional terms. After this meeting we can start the concept design stage, which should lead, by the end of a year’s work, to a preliminary project draft. On such draft a very refined analysis and all the necessary economic evaluations will be carried out”.
After concluding the design, the prototype may be the prelude of an enormous submerged fixed crossing structure, that will be placed south of Shanghai: a 3200 meters long bridge which links the Jintang Island to the continent. Here the working hypothesis was to adopt a traditional bridge made up of a number of bays, but the local authorities decided on the innovative solution, the Archimedes’ Bridge.
As if to symbolize the fact that the Archimedes’ Bridge was a solution taken for granted by a Nation which aims at being leader in advanced technologies.
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