There are many monuments in Italy, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa has just been protected, and now it is busy protecting the Venice Bell Tower. According to a Reuters report on January 31, the local government of Venice is planning to strengthen the bell tower on St. Mark ’s Square with a metal band made of titanium alloy to prevent it from collapsing or becoming the second “Leaning Tower”. The project will cost hundreds Ten thousand U.S. dollars.
The bell tower of St. Mark’s Square is one of Venice’s most famous landmarks. It is about 99 meters high and is located at the entrance of Venice’s Grand Canal, overlooking St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
The reason for saving the bell tower is because a small crack that appeared on the bell tower in 1939 is constantly expanding. Right now there is no risk of the clock tower collapse, but the Venice government is ready to take action. “When this situation (crack expansion) occurs, no one can predict what will happen,” said Etore Via, the head of maintenance operations.
According to the plan, a metal band made of titanium alloy will surround the bottom of the bell tower. The engineering staff said that the metal band will be installed 1 to 3.5 meters below the ground, without affecting its appearance.
The agency responsible for the protection of the Venetian waterways and coastal buildings believes that the use of titanium alloys to reinforce the bell tower has a good effect and has a much smaller impact on the building than the addition of cement.
This project will start before June 2007, and it will take a total of 18 months to complete. It is estimated to cost US $ 77.8 million.
