translated from Spanish: Collapse in Genoa: the 3 differences of emblematic bridge Lake Maracaibo and the Morandi which collapsed in Italy, designed by the same Engineer

the des plome bridge in Genoa led many to wonder about the status of its “twin” on Lake Maracaibo. Are there any risks?
Venezuela experts are sure that General Rafael Urdaneta de Venezuela bridge, also designed by the engineer Riccardo Morandi, is not in danger of collapsing.
Representatives of the College of engineering, the Chamber of construction, and the University of Zulia reject warnings of European engineers about structural flaws in the bridge built 56 years ago in the Western Venezuelan.
What is known about the causes of the tragic collapse of the bridge in Genoa in which dozens of people died “are two completely different structures. This bridge won’t fall”, said Oladys Rincon Troconis, Professor of the University of Zulia majoring in chemical engineering and former Commission of professionals that, between 1994 and 2000, ensured the preservation of the work.
Enrique Ferrer, President of the Chamber of constructors of Zulia, where is located the work and the region’s largest population density of Venezuela, considered that the two bridges share similarities “aspect, but in principle cannot be said to save relationship in its” structure”.
“I went down with the car”: the shocking testimony of a survivor of the bridge of Genoa who does not know how escaped Antonio Brenchic, structural engineer and Professor at the University of Genoa, raised alarms about potential failures that share both structures.
In his view, Morandi made mistakes calculating the aging of reinforced concrete. Another shared slip would be the wear of the steel.
Ian Firth, former President of the institution of structural engineers, an organization based in the United Kingdom, joined the warnings.
Below we explain the main differences between the Genoa Morandi bridge and Lake Maracaibo, in accordance with the explanations of the Venezuelan engineers.
Copyright of the imagenGETTY IMAGESImage captionEl Venezuelan bridge (left) opened in 1962, five years earlier than the genoves.1. Tensors of steel, not specifically a little known detail of the design of the Rafael Urdaneta bridge is that it was not exclusive Morandi. The Maracaibo bridge Consortium, consisting of Venezuelan labor and foreign, modified the project of Italian architect.
The sources underlined a key difference: the Italian bridge is built with tensioners concrete, while the Venezuelan are galvanized steel.
As it went on Maracaibo being the coldest city to the hottest of Venezuela?
Morandi are more “susceptible”, says Professor Troconis.
The expert recalled that it was incredible that they were made of that material.
“Ours are made of steel. Yes, they have had problems, but they are problems that are arranged with maintenance”, stands out.
The Venezuelan entity in charge of its preservation has reported the retightening of cables and replacement of one of them on the stack 25, 10 years ago. In 1979, the tensors of the 22 battery is also burst and replaced with corrosion.
Copyright of the captionEl bridge imagenREUTERSImage is exposed to high concentrations of nitrogen, ammonia and nitrate from the sea, Erosive agents and extreme temperature changes on behalf of wind tropical.2. Resistant to corrosion and collision José Zavala, Professor of the Faculty of engineering of the University of Zulia (light) and President of the society of civil engineers of Zulia, highlights the strength of the bridge Rafael Urdaneta.
Celebrate that you have resisted “an aggressive atmosphere” of high concentrations of nitrogen, ammonia and salinity, as well as expansions and erosive agents and extreme temperature changes traveling in tropical wind.
Its deterioration, believes, is “normal” levels in concrete construction.
Zavala attests that has enjoyed “good stages of corrections and proper maintenance techniques” to its structure in recent years, especially against corrosion to prevent effects on steel.
“This is like the Cosa Nostra”: thus operates the club exclusive and underground mining bitcoins and other criptomonedas in Venezuela considered that the single bridge would collapse before unexpected events, such as the movement of the tectonic faults of the lake or a collision of wingspan.
A tanker Creole Petroleum, Esso Maracaibo II, tanker collided in 1964 against two pillars of the bridge after a short circuit. Part of the work has collapsed. Seven people died when falling into the void.
“As a civil engineer, I am confident the bridge due to the structural capacity which has yet.”
Copyright of the imagenGETTY IMAGESImage captionEl Rafael Urdaneta bridge is seven times larger than that which collapsed in Italia.3. Greater length and bases work Plumb partially in Italy extends for 1.2 kilometers, integrates with a main highway and is located on railways in a purely industrial zone.
The Venezuelan is seven times larger. Its 8.7 kilometers of length make it the second largest bridge in America.
134 bases are anchored 60 meters under water, as opposed to the of the Italian bridge, which lay on the concrete with a height of 45 meters.
Both structures are of prestressed concrete and reinforced concrete. They are aesthetically similar, as traffic channels seem to boards suspended between pillars with inverted forms of ve.
Inaugurated the Venezuelan bridge in 1962, five years earlier than the Genoese. An average of 45,000 individuals and heavy load vehicles crossing its tracks between the Eastern and western shores of Lake Maracaibo.
Its trucks weighing system does not operate for years, recalls Marcelo Monot, former President of the College of engineers, who three years ago denounced the abandonment of maintenance on the part of the Government.
Copyright of the imagenGETTY IMAGESImage caption “our [tensores] are made of steel.” Yes, they have had problems, but they are problems that are arranged with maintenance”, Excel experts.” Well built”European experts warning coincides with a recent fire in the battery 23 Venezuelan bridge during a general power failure in Zulia State, that the Government of Nicolas Maduro described as a”terrorist act”.
Roberto Ramírez, civil engineer with in repair of affected structures, believes the collapse of the European Bridge and the fire occurred in the South American is nothing more than a coincidence.
“The bridge over the Lake is a well made, well built structure,” he says.
The Venezuelan, insists, “not going to collapse”.

Original source in Spanish