PROCEDURAL MODELLING FOR HBIM OF ITALIAN RAILWAYS IRON BRIDGES

Abstract

The development of the railways network in the 19th century represented a significant scenario for the technological advancement of the entire Italian building sector; consequently, it produced a relevant renewal of construction techniques. Icons of this robust infrastructure building program were the railway bridges built over the Po river; their construction represented an arduous technological challenge. Unfortunately, in the years following the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy the national industry was disorganized and unprepared to face this ambitious challenge; indeed, the first four bridges were built by foreign companies that could guarantee the necessary technological know-how. However, the industrial scenario immediately changed and the last two bridges were designed and built by Italian engineers and steelwork companies. The railway bridges over the River Po are now lost; the changing needs of railway traffic or bombings during the Second World War unavoidably led to their demolition. Their enhancement through 3d modelling and virtual representation is fundamental for the rediscovering of the role they played not only in the construction of the national infrastructural system but also in the life of the young state. To this aim, the paper proposes the outcomes of research that explores the potentialities of 3d software with Visual Programming Language (VPL), in order to create modelling tools useful for the disclosure and dissemination of the historical value of this lost heritage.