Roma e il Tevere. Il crollo dei muraglioni per la piena del 1900: cause e provvedimenti

Rome and the Tiber. The Collapse of Sections of the Embankment During the Flood of 1900. Causes and Measures The walls enclosing the Tiber in Rome succeeded in preventing the frequent inundations of the city. The constructive boldness and the size of this technological enterprise highlight the experimentation of a complex hydraulic and geotechnical project, whose testing was made possible by a fortuitous event. In December 1900 a flood tested the stability of the structures built so far, causing the collapse of some sections of the embankments, and suggesting the setting up of a statical upgrade. Indeed, as a result of the high river levels, the retaining structures were exposed to exceptional hydraulic forces. Correspondingly, the foundations soils were subjected to large drag forces by the water flowing at high rate, that developed erosive phenomena. The contribution investigates the causes underlying the collapses and analyzes the structural and construction measures that were later adopted to ensure the stability of the embankments.