Arno River - Province of Florence
WORK DETAILS.
The company INIZIATIVE TOSCANE S.r.l., a Brescia-based company leader in hydroelectric exploitation also in large plants in the Alpine arc, has entrusted ASACERT with the task of carrying out the activity of Technical Control during construction in relation to the works of: extraordinary maintenance, restructuring and re-functionalization of no. 13 weirs / crossbars present on the course of the Arno River in the territory of the province of Florence and construction of related facilities for electricity production.
The goal is to systematize and upgrade the 13 existing ‘fisheries’ in the Florentine section of the Arno River, 12 of which are to be integrated with hydroelectric power plants capable of significant energy production: 55 Gwh per year, which will be fed into the national grid but would be sufficient to meet the needs of twenty thousand households and will save the environment climate-changing emissions for 25 thousand tons of Co2.
Crossbars or weirs are works transverse to the watercourse made to produce motive power, once serving mills or factories, which also have a water-regulating role. Some of these works are a few centuries old and therefore not in good condition. In this respect, therefore, the project also aims to safeguard and enhance a historical and cultural heritage composed of river engineering and architectural works. The first bridle to inaugurate the mini power plant will be the one in Signa. An operation aimed at improving hydraulic safety and preserving biodiversity, reducing emissions production, and safeguarding and enhancing the historical heritage still present.
The projected duration of the work is 24 months after which all facilities should be in operation and the renovation of the fishponds-bridges should be completed. The localities along the Arno affected by the renovation project are Incisa, Rignano, Sieci, Ellera, Compiobbi, il Girone, Vallina, Rovezzano, Porto di Mezzo a Signa, and, in Florence, the San Niccolò area and the Cascine Park.
SERVICE
The in-process technical inspection will be carried out by ASACERT’s Inspection Group, consisting of technical experts with many years of experience in inspecting the design and execution of residential, commercial and industrial construction works.
Specifically, inspection activities will be carried out on the requirements of stability and mechanical strength of structural elements, including embankments, understood as the prevention of partial or total ruin of the work and serious construction defects with reference to parts of the work intended by their nature to be long-lasting, provided that they result from defective construction or error in the executive design.
At the end of the inspection activities ASACERT will be able to express an opinion on what has been analyzed through the issuance of the regular Final Inspection Report.