Trelleborg sealing solutions keep Venice above water

A large-scale engineering project undertaken to protect the city of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon from rising tides has used elastomeric seals from Trelleborg as part of the installation.

The MOSE project, which is scheduled for completion in 2018 at an estimated cost of 5.5 billion EUR, requires 78 mobile barriers to be installed at the gaps through which the tide enters the lagoon and that separate it from the Adriatic.

The barriers consist of steel gates installed end-to-end and are used only when there is the danger of flooding. The gates are normally completely invisible, resting in special housings in the bed of the lagoon inlets. When high water is forecast, they are temporarily raised to isolate the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. When the tide goes down, the gates are returned to their housing in the seabed.

Trelleborg has been very involved in the MOSE project with contracts to supply the project with tailor-made sealing solutions and multiple fender systems. It worked closely with the consultant engineer, Technital, during the design phase, as well as with one of the project’s main contractors, Clodia SpA.

“For such a large-scale infrastructure project, it was vital that we source a reliable solution that would stand the test of time,” explained Clodia’s Diego Zandolin. “Trelleborg supplied its state-of-the-art Super Cone and Arch fenders after overcoming the challenge of supplying a large quantity of fenders in a particularly short turnaround time.”

“We needed multiple made-to-order sealing system solutions, and Trelleborg was able to meet our requirements with a combination of highly resilient natural rubber Seismic Gina gaskets, a moulded and handmade seal manufactured to the highest tolerances, as well as Omega seals.”

The closed Gina gasket will be attached to the barriers and act as a dynamic seal, ensuring watertight protection, while the Omega seal will act as a secondary seal between the sectional elements of the mobile barriers.

Richard Hepworth, President of Trelleborg’s Marine Operation within Trelleborg Offshore and Construction, added: “We’re delighted we could develop effective solutions for such a significant project, one that will undoubtedly help safeguard the future of Venice.”