The Automatic People Mover is the new system of alternative and sustainable urban transport in Venice. It will unite the three organisational nodes: Piazzale Roma, Porto Marittima and Tronchetto.
The track is 870m long and consists of three stations and two bridges. One of the two bridges which crosses the channel of Tronchetto has a length of 176m. This bridge represents both the new system of public transport (above ground) that connects and unites three territories and the fundamental structure of Venice that is constituted by so many islands welded together by bridges.
As soon as the requirements in terms of high technology were resolved, the project’s architecture was worked out in a manner that embedded the bridge into the city’s lagoon environment. A spatial form that slips into the atmosphere of the Venetian landscape.
The shape of the structure, following the variation of static moments, draws the flight of a seagull. The static structural element is associated with the ‘moment’ of the flight. It is a spatial articulation in motion, a living form that spreads over the lagoon. The system is managed by A.S.M. SpA, owner of the work. The construction works were performed by A.T.I. DOPPELMAYR, S.A.C.A.I.M., SICOP, who assigned the realisation and the erection of the complete steel structure of the line to Bit SpA.
Translating an idea into a structural body means to live the charm of the contrast between the lightness of creative thought and the solidity of the material forged in the workshop. The more attentiveness is given to the first point the better the result of the attempt to translate the original concept into steel. Thanks to the great professional ability and the collaborative spirit of Bit SpA’s team they could follow the original concept from beginning to end.
The fantastic design of the bridge was composed by talented architect Francesco Cocco who integrated it brilliantly into the very particular context of the Venetian environment. It is visible to all national and international technicians and it demonstrates the incomparable characteristic of steel’s adaptability to any architectural form, showing lightness and economy.
In order to ensure the necessary synergy and overcome brilliantly every difficulty they could come across, BIT SpA used the bocad software which, for this particular work, was valued the most appropriate for the demands.
It’s one thing to know that the tubular profiles were bent to follow the varying osculating planes, but it’s another thing to know that the mullions of the transversal frames are also bent in the direction of the cross-sectional plane. This means that we have bending into two different directions at the same time. The grade of bending is modified gradually and continuously, changing the cross-sectional geometry from a trapezoidal form at the beginning to a triangular form at maximum height adapting it to the point of the maximum bending moment.