It has been announced that titanium is going to be the material of choice to repair and save a Venice landmark, St. Mark’s Campanile. The Campanile was originally built in the 10th century and stands on St. Mark’s Square. It is the free-standing bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica and is almost 100m tall, making it the tallest building in the city. Its foundation was built on wood piles, which, in the course of time, have been weakened by saltwater. ThyssenKrupp Titanium in Terni has received a contract to supply twelve tons of the material to provide long-term protection for the foundation. In a complex process scheduled to take two years, a system of titanium rods connected by titanium nuts and held together by eight titanium plates will be fastened around the existing foundation. The tension created in this way will prevent distortion of the foundation and guarantee its long-term stability. The system will be installed three-and-a-half meters under water. The titanium for the system is currently being manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Titanium and will be delivered to Italian-based partner company Titalia. The actual construction work to shore up St. Mark’s Campanile is scheduled to begin at the end of 2009.
