On Saturday 25 May the demolition of the piezometric tower on the north-east side of the site was carried out at the Pittini plant of ADV Acciaierie di Verona. The safety of the intervention was handled by Contec AQS.

The tower, dating back to the second post-war period and destined over time for water reserve, for many years has unused; for some time now the need to remove it has been emerged.

Contec AQS Environment Quality Safety, the Contec Group company specialized in safety on site and in the workplace, assumed the role of safety coordinator in the design and execution stages, in the person of Massimiliano Gagliardi, Giovanni Bauleo and the assistant Luca Perlati, who took care of the complex bureaucratic procedure and the various activities.

The method of demolition with dynamite explosion was chosen because the structural integrity of the tower would not guarantee its stability by using other traditional methods of destruction.

 

The demolition intervention with explosion

The dynamite charges were placed on four of the six pillars that made up the vertical structure of the tower, in order to control the fall towards the inside of the plant.

The logistic positioning of the tower in the urban context of Verona has required a preventive coordination with the authorities, to agree the authorization for the use of the explosive, in addition to the planning of the coordination for the safety of citizens and activities concerned. Neighboring institutions and activities have been involved in order to guarantee an adequate management of demolition activities and the safety of the construction site and the citizens.

Around 11:00 on Saturday 25 May, the engineer Laura Pamini – Pittini Group Facility and Project Manager – pressed the detonator button and the tower collapsed according to forecasts. After the safety patrol of the area and the verification of the integrity of the railway tracks, the neighboring area was freed and the Milan-Venice line was restored.

The demolition caused the closure of some parts of infrastructure and roads: the railway line concerned – the Milan-Venice line – was closed from 10.35 am to 11.30 am, as well as the roads adjacent to the area. The traffic of buses urban and extra-urban passing near the Monumental Cemetery was suspended.

The coordination of the Authorities

In the design of the demolition intervention with explosion, various bodies and entities were coordinated; with them a final briefing was held on 22 May. In detail, the following subjects were involved:

• the central police station and the Vice Police Commissioner of Verona;
• RFI for the closure of the Milan – Venice railway line;
• Railway Police;
• Municipal Police for traffic closure;
• ATV for temporary suspension of buses;
• Contec AQS Safety Quality Environment;
• ADV Acciaierie di Verona as Client and Project Manager;
• SID / Tecnomina, company that carried out demolition works.

The neighboring activities not directly involved but interested were also informed:

• the Verona shelter;
• AGSM Verona;
• the Monumental Cemetery of Verona;
• the adjacent marble processing business;
• the Ferriere Nord plant for the suspension of production activities on Saturday.

Photo credit: TG Verona.