Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2016)

ENGINEERING PROJECT OF THE YEAR

ABB Symphony Plus &

The Engineering Quest to Save Venice

BY KIRA COLEY s one of the most important civil platform will be the ‘brain’ of the en- tions in water levels, extreme spring ties rain and water into the lagoon,” said engineering projects in recent tire Mo.S.E system, navigating the safe tides are more regularly surging through Stefania Mascheroni, ABB. “As a result

Ahistory, the story of the Venetian operation of the project’s barrier gates the city ? ooding homes, businesses and of global warming, sea levels are ex-

Mo.S.E ? ood barrier has been one of and providing the anti-intruder and cy- buildings. Unesco will present a report pected to rise about 20 cm by 2050. This innovation and modernization. Now, in ber security systems required in this era on the status of Venice to the World puts the city of Venice at huge risk to be the ? nal stages of the $6 billion venture of digitalized ? ood protection. Venice Heritage Committee, which will fol- inundated nearly once a week with tides which seeks to save the historic ? oating is an amazing engineering endeavor: it low with recommendations in July this starting from 80 cm above normal.” city, the ‘nervous system’ of the project has been built on a group of more than year. “A range of factors have made the is due to be installed linking the archi- 100 little islands as part of a lagoon. This lagoon vulnerable to high water surging The Mo.S.E. Solution tecture to an intelligent control network. large, enclosed bay is protected by 50 km through the inlets from the Adriatic Sea. The Mo.S.E. (Italian acronym for

This $38 million order will provide au- of sandbank and connected to the sea by This includes erosion caused by port Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico) tomation and power, connecting 78 in- three inlets giving passage to the city’s development, subsiding land and rising ? ood barrier system is designed to block dependently operated steel gates with maritime traf? c, as well as the normal sea levels, periodic wind conditions that the annual high tides and storm surges signals from more than 50,000 devices. 1-meter tides that ? ush the city’s canals. push waves into the lagoon, as well as that enter the Venetian region. Led by

The ABB Symphony Plus automation While the lagoon is subject to varia- the surrounding drainage basin that emp- the construction consortium Consorzio 3 2 1 (Credit: ABB) 44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JUNE 2016

MR #6 (42-49).indd 44 6/9/2016 9:14:37 PM