17.03.2006

TTS win Venice lifting job

TTS Marine ASA has entered into an agreement through its subsidiary TTS Handling Systems to help save Venice from sinking. The contract is valued at £ 5 million (NOK57 million) and covers the development of a lifting system that can lift up to 28,000 tonnes.

The contract to develop a heavy lift system has been entered into with the Italian contractor GLF, which has undertaken an assignment from the Italian government to build a "smart" barrier to prevent extreme tides from reaching Venice.

Lifting of enormous concrete blocks

The city of Venice, which lies in a lagoon with three openings, is to be protected with flood gates that will be raised when extreme tides are expected. The foundations for these gates are enormous concrete blocks the largest of which weigh approximately 25,000 tonnes.
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The Tidal barrier planned for Venice

The concrete elements will be transported from the construction site with the heavy lift system from TTS to a ship lift supplied by TTS's partner Rolls-Royce Naval Marine. The concrete blocks will then be transported out to the lagoon openings, where each concrete element will then be lowered down to the seabed.

TTS has committed to develop and deliver the heavy lift system within 24 months. TTS will also participate in the work to transport the enormous concrete blocks from the construction site to the lagoon openings.

23 cm in 100 years

Venice is located in the inner reaches of the Adriatic Sea, and it is known for its canals, its architecture and its history. It is built on 117 small islands and while the city has only 60,000 permanent residents, it receives around 11 million tourists annually. Venice has, however, sunk 23 centimetres into the sea during the last 100 years alone.