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Doctor Fernando Lizzi is a distinguished Engineer from Naples, Italy, the inventor of a soil
stabilzation method known as "micropiles". Dr. Lizzi's methods are used internationally,
inlcuding such buildings as: Cathedral of Pienza Church of St. Mary, Lamberhurst, England Winchester Castle, England Bridge on Three Arches, Venice, Italy The Ducal Palace, Urbino Memorial Road Bridge, Dublin, Ireland Downside Abbey, Bath, England Monumental Church of Tourny, Eure, France Dr. Lizzi is concerned about the decision by the Committee of Safeguard for the Tower of Pisa to stop work on the Tower once the lean has been corrected by about 1/2 degree. Dr. Lizzi feels the work is not complete and leaves the Tower vulnerable to further soil yielding and outside forces such as seismic events. The text of his letter to the Minister of Public Works, sent to the newspapers listed, follows: |
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Naples, Italy 23 June 2000 Ill.mo Sig. Direttore de IL MATTINO Via Chiatamone 80100 NAPOLI Ill.mo Sig. Direttore de LA REPUBBLICA Piazza Indipendenza 11/b 00185 ROMA |
Ill.mo Sig. Direttore de IL CORRIERE DELLA SERA Via Solferino 28 20121 MILANO Ill.mo Sig. Direttore de "IL TIRRENO" Giornale PISA |
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Honorable Minister of Public Works Porta Pia ROME The Future of the Tower of Pisa Honrable Minister, From news reports, RAI, TV… it is learned that in one year the Tower in Pisa will be reopened to the public; if there are not side effects of a technical character, declares the President of the Technical Committee to which the Tower has been entrusted. The inclination (it is always the President that speaks) will be reduced by 42 centimeters, as established… establish by whom? Certainly not by the Pisans who have never wanted to speak about straightening their Leaning Tower. Ten years ago to the selected Committee was entrusted the charge to Stabilize the Tower, that is to remove the movement of inclination that, for centuries, has threatened its stability. All without modifying its inclination. An arrest, therefore, defined as the movement. Something that, after all, has been asked and achieved for other Leaning Towers, under serious risk of collapse; some of which, very famous, definitively stabilized by the writer (for instance; the Leaning Bell tower of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon, the Tilted Minaret of Mosul in Iraq…). We learn instead, as it regards the Tower in Pisa, that the Committee, after ten years of embarrassed silences, punctuated by some serious failure, is about to conclude the order in the time entrusted to it with a simple reduction of the actual inclination. As such, in the middle of a delicate excavation of the subsoil of the Monument, it is not deprived of risk. For consolation it is affirmed that the reduction of the inclination would turn back Tower under the conditions of many years ago; when the Monument was not, certainly, immovable, but subject, then as today, to its fatal movement of instability. In conclusion, the Committee leaves its charge unresolved. It will not return the Monument stabilized as established ten years ago, but will leave this definitive stabilization as it is effected… as our end. We are wishing for something better. It would be so opportune that on this occasion our honored Superior Counsel of Public Works, responsible institutionally for the maintenance, from the static point of view, of our Monuments expresses his opinion . For this much is clear, this assembly has always been kept out of the activity of the Committee. With much respect, Dr. Ing. Fernando Lizzi Street C. De Nardis, 7 80127 Naples Tel. / Fax. +39 081 5604391 "This study is dedicated to Dr. Fenando Lizzi, of Napoli, Italy, whose technical acumen in developing the concept of micropiles has been matched only by his imagination in applying them. Since obtaining the first micropile patents in 1952, Dr. Lizzi jas overseen the growth in theor use on five continents. He has been inspirational to all associated with preparing this study, and doubtless willremain so to all those who read it." "Micropiles are small diameter, drilled and grouted reinforced piles used for both structural support and in situ earth reinforcement. They were conceived in Italy in 1952, but have become popular in the US only since the mid-1980's. This report provides a comprehensive, state-of-practice review, drawing on data from an international basis." From The Static Restoration of Monuments Fernando Lizzi, 1982, Sagep Editrice, Genova The problem of strengthening of buildings subject to foundation settlement has been solved in an original and innovative way by underpinning with "pali radice" (rot piles), invented by F. Lizzi in 1952 and now well known all over the world. Similarly, the strengthening of masonry structures by means of "reticolo ceto", as well as the use of "pali radice" in group ("reticulated pali radice") for problems of subsoil consolidation owe their origins to the same philosophy. This book outlines the criteria involved, by reference to numerous case histories and offer useful suggestions to those involved in this branch of Construction Activity. It is to be stressed that the contents of this book are dervied from the personal experience of the Author, who designed and carried out the majority of the works described. For more than 30 years, Dr. Lizzi has been the Technical Director of the Italian Firm Fondedile, of Naples, specializing in the static restoration of monumnets. Return to
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