Engineering News-Record announced that the seismic assessment project of the Rondanini Pietà, Michelangelo's latest masterpiece, has won the "Global Best Project 2016". A highly prestigious award won for the third year by the engineering office Miyamoto International, who coordinated the whole project. The award is also a recognition of the work done by Kimia, which developed the anchoring system of the sculpture to the anti-seismic basement.
The project
The Italian office of Miyamoto had been commissioned by the City of Milan to provide engineering services for the development of a technological support protecting the statue from earthquakes and vibrations due to traffic. A subway line runs right under the statue, located at the Sforza Castle in Milan.
Miyamoto has designed the isolated anti-collapse device. The system used is to interpose a sliding platform between the basement and the ground. Miyamoto has also led complex dynamic analysis and tests on the shaking table on a replica of the statue, to see the effects of vibrations and seismic waves on the entire system.
Eng. Davis Sonda from Miyamoto Italy: "it has been very rewarding to work in a complex project, which required innovative solutions to preserve this masterpiece as long as possible."
Kimia contribution
The Politecnic University of Milan was responsible for the scientific supervision of the project, which involved companies such as Goppion, THK and Reglass. An important role was also played by Kimia, which provided the cement mortar Betonfix CR used for the realization of the support of the seismic basement. Our company has also created the innovative Kimitech FRP-LOCK® PR, essential for the anchoring of the sculpture.
Kimitech FRP-LOCK® PR is a composite material disk, with a threaded metal element in the centre, which has been glued to the basement of the sculpture. The threaded metal cylinder has been screwed to the disk. The sculpture has been anchored to the anti-seismic basement by means of the cylinder.
READ ALSO: The Rondanini Pietà safe thanks to Kimitech FRP-LOCK® PR
After the taft work for the placement of the Rondanini Pietà, last year, in April the sculpture became accessible to public again from 2 May 2015. Visitors can admire it at the ancient Spanish Hospital, in the Sforza Castle, Milan.