Archinect - News

Webuild and Carlo Ratti propose replacement for Baltimore’s collapsed Key Bridge following tragedy

2024-05-03T15:28:00-04:00

Today, the Webuild group advanced a proposal designed in collaboration with architect and MIT professor Carlo Ratti and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux for a new bridge in Baltimore that would replace the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The design, which was released ahead of next week’s preliminary reconstruction forum called by the Maryland Transportation Authority, calls for a cable suspension span totaling 2,300 feet with a 213-foot clearance and offering wider lanes and increased vessel navigation safety, structural maintenance monitoring technology, smart traffic management, and enhanced connection to the Harbor area.

Webuild had already famously contributed to the rapid reconstruction of Renzo Piano’s Morandi bridge replacement in Genoa, Italy, after the deadly 2018 collapse that killed 43 people. The company is also expecting to begin constructing what will become the world's longest suspension bridge over the Strait of Messina by the end of the year.

Render...

World's longest suspension bridge is moving forward in Italy after decades of pushback and delays

2024-02-25T08:00:00-05:00

Construction of what would be the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting Sicily and mainland Italy over the Strait of Messina, could begin this year after the final design recently gained approval. The long-delayed project would stretch more than 10,800 feet if completed.

The controversial bridge is estimated to cost approximately $5 billion and take around seven years to build. It will feature three vehicle lanes and a central lane for rail. The structure is also designed to withstand 180-mile-per-hour winds and up to 7.1-magnitude earthquakes.

The concept has been in the works since the 1960s, and it wasn’t until 2003 that a preliminary design for it was approved. Since then, the project has experienced a cycle of being shelved and revived by various Italian governments in power. Critics of the endeavor have asserted that the bridge has been nothing more than a tool to win votes that would waste billions of dollars.

State-owned sponsor Stretto di Messina SpA (SdM) has long...

Webuild wins $4.7 billion contract to deliver NEOM's Trojena artificial lake

2024-01-19T14:41:00-05:00

Italian contractor Webuild has won a $4.7 billion bid to deliver the central manmade water feature included in the Trojena mountainside resort concept that forms a vital part of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM megadevelopment for 2030.

The contract calls for the construction of three dams and an artificial lake feature plus a new structure called the Bow that will house its 3,600-guest hotel and residences, complimenting a ski resort and network of experiential nature areas and wildlife reserves.

The roughly 1.7-mile-long lake itself will become the largest manmade body of water in Saudia Arabia, the firm says. Elevations at the site range from 4,920 to 8,530 feet. Bechtel had been previously contracted as the project manager. NEOM says they aim to have things completed in time for Trojena to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Philip Gullett, the Executive Director – Region Head at Trojena, said in an update: “We have already completed around three million cubic meters of excavation at the la...