BININI PARTNERS

New navigation basin at Serafini Island

An important step ahead for the development of river navigation in northern Italy along the section from Locarno to Venice along the Po River

An important step ahead for the development of river navigation in northern Italy along the section from Locarno to Venice along the Po River

The creation of the new navigation basin of Serafini Island on the Po River between Piacenza and Cremona, along the section that connects Locarno, on Lake Maggiore, to the Adriatic Sea and to Venice, is an important step forward for river navigation in Northern Italy. The waterway system that includes the Po River and the canals connected to the sea is part of a system called Reti Strategiche Europee, Reti CORE (Strategic European Networks) within the Mediterranean area, where you can find six river ports and various tourist docks as well as the Veneto coastline and the Padova-Venice waterway.
The increase of commercial transport via water is a very important objective for the economic development of the areas of the Po and the reduction of road transport, with the consequent improvement of circulation and reduction of air pollution. There is also much to be said for the improvement in agriculture and the general safety of the area.
River tourism, which is already active, also had great potential for growth, in part connected to the various artistic, cultural and culinary itineraries and the bike lanes and foot paths that already exist or are planned along the rivers.

The project, which was inaugurated on 23rd March 2018, was made necessary because the first basin, created in 1962, along with the hydroelectric plant, could no longer be used due to the lowering of the river depth which had occurred over the previous 50 years due to the uncontrolled excavations, the blockage caused by the plant and decrease in solid intake from the affluent rivers. The activation of the new basin, therefore, will allow navigation all the way to Piacenza and, potentially, all the way to Pavia from where, thanks to the “navigli” canal system from Pavia to Milan and Milan to the Ticino River, it will be possible to reach Locarno on Lake Maggiore.

The Isola Serafini navigation basin, located in the municipality of Monticelli d’Ongina (Province of Piacenza), is the only one on the Po River and the most important in Italy due to the difference in altitude to overcome across the block, varying from 4 to 13 meters according to the river flow. It is made up of a reinforced concrete basin with a navigable surface of 115m x 12,50m, with mobile barriers (“porte vinciane”, Da Vinci gates) on each side. These characteristics allow the passage of Va class European Commission Transport Ministry vessels (110, length, 11.50m width, a full-load draught of 2.50m with a maximum load of 2000t, equal to 70/100 trucks).

Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria

The project is located along the river network of the Po Valley and Veneto area which are part of European programs aimed at creating sustained mobility for commercial transport and tourist navigation along with environmental and safety objectives. The project also relies on another, currently in the executive planning phase, of the low-flow riverbed of the Po River from Cremona to the sea, to allow safe navigation, according to EU standards, for at least 300 days a year on average.
The executive project, drafted by Binini Partners as group leader and in association with RMD, Studio Paoletti and Studio Zermani, includes the most recent and innovative solutions, also on a European level, and was the winner of the tender set out by AIPO thanks to the high level of technological complexity and specialisation of the project.
The upstream component is made up of mobile barriers (moving gates known as “porte vinciane” Da Vinci gates) and extends to the existing banks as well as the aqueduct openings and the sluices for the safety buffers.
The planned works reach a height of 46,55÷46,60 m a.s.l., with a safety height of 1.80 m above the full-flow reference level with a Q200 return time, indicated by PAI at 44.80. The way has a height of 13 meters and connects the two sections, upstream and the container, which are respectively at 37 and 24 meters a.s.l. The main body of the basin is composed of a foundation slab built in full flow of 23.50, which has a thickness of 3,5 meters, while the lateral walls in elevation had a thickness of 5.5 at the base and a height of 19 meters.
Particular care was put into the design of the aqueducts which feed into the structure which help increase the fill-up and emptying speed without causing turbulence for vessels in the basin.
The structure is located along the main bank, on the right of the Po, and cuts along the large bend in the river which creates Serafini Island, thus allowing boats to go from the main section upstream up to Piacenza and Pavia, where a basin was created, to the downstream section which has been modified with a free-flow approach all the way to the sea. Great care was paid in the planning phase to the environment and landscape of the project thanks to the modelling of the green areas and the river basins, upstream and downstream manracchios, fitted with floating bridges and docking points for commercial, sports and leisure navigation.
The project is characterised by a vey high level of technical and construction complexity, in particular for the safety connected to the main bank of the Po, which is susceptible to flooding, reached a total cost of 47 million Euros and was completed in only 5 years by Consorzio Integra, the tender winning organisation, which assigned the work to Isola Serafini società consortile, mae up of SICREA Group, SITECO, SIDEA and Co-Opera.
The basin and connected stairs for the fish will connect the upstream area of the Po River to the Adriatic sea with a view also to the fauna, the environment, the landscape and the waterway system. Sustainability, attention to the environment and the landscape, development and innovation are therefore the key words in this project which, through the waterways, connects Italy to Europe.

Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria

New navigation basin to Serafini Island


Client
:
AIPO – Agenzia Interregionale per il fiume Po
Regione Emilia-Romagna. Co-finanziato dall’Unione Europea
INIWAS – Connecting Europe Facility 2014-2020

Start date:
2011

Completion date:
Inaugurated on 23-03-2018

Development of navigation line: 1 km
Basin size: 115m x 12.5m
Difference in water level: from 4m to 13m
Filling/emptying time: 13 minutes
Navigation class: Va CEMT, for ship of 2000t and minimum taught of 2,5m

Funding/Works:
total € 47.000.000, of which € 33.142.692,76 for works, including safety obligations (with state funds and loans taken out by Regione Emilia Romagna, co-funded at 20% by the EU)

RUP:
Head of procedures
Ing. Ivano Galvani
AIPO – Agenzia Interregionale per il fiume Po (Interregional agency for the Po River)

Executive design and safety coordination and safety coordination doing planning:
Joint venture
Binini Partners S.r.l. (delegated group leader)
RMD
Studio Paoletti
Studio Zermani

Project/service signatory technicians:
Eng. Tiziano Binini (Binini Partners)
Project leader responsible for global ATI activities; head of integration of specialist services; head of basin design and internal navigation works

Arch. Cecilia Morini (Binini Partners)
Landscape and environmental design

Eng. Cristian Torelli (Binini Partners)
Head of electro-mechanical works design

Eng. Raffaele Ramolini (Binini Partners)
Head of structural design

Eng. Gianluca Lombardi (Binini Partners)
Head of navigation works design

Eng. jr. Alberto Baroni (Binini Partners)
Head of infrastructure and building works design

Eng. Elena Morini (Binini Partners)
Roadwork infrastructure design

Geol. Mario Mambrini (Binini Partners)
Head of geotechnical and geological sector

Eng. Steffens Frank
Consultant for specialistic basin design

Eng. Hofbauer Markus
Consultant for specialist basin structural works design

Prof. Eng. Alessandro Paoletti
Specialist consultant for the solution of river, hydraulic and solid transport issues

Eng. Stefano Croci
Specialist consultant for the solution of river, hydraulic and solid transport issues

Eng. Roberto Zermani
Specialist consultant for the solution of local issues for the insertion of the basin

Eng. Luca Zermani
Specialist consultant for the solution of local issues for the insertion of the basin

Main contractor:
Consorzio Integra s.c.

Building company:
ISOLA SERAFINI società consortile a r.l.
SICREA Group, SITECO, SIDEA, Co-Opera spa

Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria
Conca di navigazione a Isola Serafini, Binini Partners, Società di architettura e ingegneria

New navigation basin at Serafini Island
An important step ahead for the development of river navigation in northern Italy along the section from Locarno to Venice along the Po River