Chains Bridge

• Started in 1840 by Lorenzo Nottolini, it was commissioned by the Duke of Lucca Charles Louis de Bourbon and inaugurated in 1860. The suspension bridge over the river Lima links Fornoli with Chifenti.

• The work is made of iron, through the suspension with the chains that are held in tension by a complex underground mechanism and the triumphal arches at the ends.

• The supports of the bridge were undermined by the German Army during World War II but it was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1953 by engineer Pfanner.

• The wooden and metal walkway is held by metal cables supported by piers. The shape is reminiscent of the pillars of the Roman triumphal arches.

• The structure of the bridge, with its wide overlooking terraces, and the narrow pathway were designed to make it as a meeting point for the social life of the village.

Metal bridges

• The steel, being more resistant than other materials, is used to build bridges with large spans. There are two types of metal bridges:- Ordinary bridges - Suspension bridges

Ordinary Bridges

• They are made in laminated steel .

Suspension Bridge

• They are made with bodies in toroidal cables of drawn wires with diameters of 6 mm. They bear the loads of the sliding surface, and share a part on the pillars set and on the other side on the anchoring systems.

The suspension bridges are formed by:

• Sliding surface: a set of main beams together with supporting cables by pendulums and secondary beams.

• Pillars: are made of concrete and steel. They reach up to 200 m high.

• Anchoring groups : must balance the tension of the cables at both ends. They are united with the shoulder of the bridge especially on soft ground.

Aeroelastic Effects

• Aereolastic effects are the impacts that the wind has on a structure. They vary depending on the shape and sides of structural elements that make up the bridge. Because of this, each form has its own aerodynamic coefficient.

The work made by:

Greta Bini

and

Samuele Bendinelli