Ultra-sensitive sensors to capture the structural alterations of the building; bricks in safe and insulating wood chipboard; fabrics to be inserted in the walls to avoid their crushing: Saie 2012 in Bologna is a showcase for innovation in the construction sector and challenges the crisis by offering news and meetings.
The heart of the 48th international trade fair for the sector, which runs until Monday, is the "Forum for the reconstruction of Italy", two pavilions and a long list of conferences to talk about earthquakes, prevention and retrofitting of buildings. A space where you can even breathe a certain optimism, a sincere desire to face difficulties and emergencies, in the awareness that these, paradoxically, they also bring opportunities. This is what the Japanese think of THK, the 20 billion dollar colossus, for the first time in Bologna in 50 years of the fair, present with their cutting-edge technology in preventing damage from earthquakes.
The Japanese are not the only ones who believe that the events of May 20 and 29 have brought about a new awareness in the country, as well as more stringent legislation. “Today there is a great deal of sensitivity in public opinion on these issues – observes Thomas Baravelli, Chief Engineer of Teleco – and we are here to propose cutting-edge technology for the structural protection of buildings, especially public ones”.
It is a plant built by the Lugo di Romagna company (15 million euro turnover, 50% of exports) in collaboration with the University of Bologna or more precisely with the CIRI (Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research). The proposed technology offers an updated picture moment by moment of the situation of the building and detects the damage caused by vibrations (not only the exceptional ones of earthquakes).
Instead, Lenzi Egisto Industrie Tessili of Prato arrives in Bologna with a newly patented fabric, designed to prevent the walls from crumbling. Born in 1898, among the pioneers of the Tuscan district, Lenzi radically changed course almost a hundred years later, investing in research and patenting technological fabrics, useful in specific situations: shoe soles against accidents; bulletproof vests and this year, for the first time, a fabric for construction.
“We have a turnover of approximately 30 million euros – says the owner Roberto Fenzi – and this year we will record a slight decrease. But the crisis does not hold us back, on the contrary it spurs us to do even more. Every year we invest almost 10% in research and development and with this fabric, born in July, we are convinced that we can conquer new market shares". A market that is suffering a lot, but where the embers are burning under the ashes and the need to restart induces the Emilians to catalyze around them the desire to start over of many small and medium-sized Italian businesses.
Business and solidarity mix without hesitation in this context, because it's good to help each other out, but also to profit from what you do. This is the case of IMVA of San Prospero sul Panaro, in the province of Modena, and of Service+ of Gubbio. Imva and Service+ have a large stand together, the first sells fixtures, the second services. They have been collaborating for years, especially on the commercial front, but after the disastrous month of May, something changed between them.
“We are Umbrians – tell Corrado Cicci and Mauro Marchi of Service+ – and unfortunately we know a lot about earthquakes. When Imva suffered considerable damage after the second shock and the owner and managing director were seriously injured, we first of all took care of giving them a hand, knowing that they could not stay still for two months without delivering their products around the world. the world. We are a service company and the earthquake has been our daily bread since we were very young, so we helped them make practices, choices, select companies, in an emergency situation where everyone seemed crazy. We partnered with Imva out of a natural feeling of solidarity at that juncture. The rest word of mouth did it. We are now a point of reference also for others and we remain at the disposal of the territory, professionally, if there was an also for others and we remain available to the local area, professionally, should we still be needed".
There are about 200 innovations that the Forum for reconstruction is showing, coming from companies and research centres. The news also comes from the SKM of Palermo, in terms of wall humidity absorption. Thanks to very modern and very small microprocessors, a small machine is enough to restore an area of 9 or 18 meters in radius. Wandering through the stands are engineers, technicians, masons, students and entrepreneurs. There is a lot of concern for a particularly harassed sector, but the desire to do the same. And a tour around here, in a phase like this, all things considered, boosts morale.
