“The project of the bridge over the Strait has widely analyzed the geological and seismic themes. Talking about acceleration to the ground is a simplistic, and conceptually incorrect way of dealing with a complex problem such as the resistance of a structure to seismic stresses. As is known to anyone who deals with seismic engineering, the seismic project spectrum must be considered. On the subject the technicians of the Strait of Messina They have repeatedly responded to these observations. ” This was stated in a note by the company in relation to statements by Professor Carlo Doglioni, former president of the Ingv, specifying that “the bridge project provides for maximum accelerations exceeding 1.5 g, in the state of structural integrity limit, and not 0.58 g as coarsely affirmed. On the institutional website of the company – continues the press release – there is also a document drawn up by the designers in whom the project spectrum of the work is compared with the spectrum recorded on the occasion of the earthquakes of L’Aquila and Amatrice, cited by Doglioni. It is clearly evident – it is underlined – that at the frequencies of interest for the bridge the project accelerations are significantly higher than those recorded in the earthquakes of L’Aquila and Amatrice, and therefore the observations of Doglioni are completely without foundation “.
For geological and seismic aspects, it is noted, “the definitive project is accompanied by over 300 geological elaborations resulting from new and wider documentation to various graphic stairs, made with the help of about 400 punctual investigations, between geological, geotechnical and seismic surveys. All the faults in the area of the Strait of Messina are known, surveyed and monitored, including those of the Calabrian side. The points of contact with the soil of the work, on the basis of the geosismotettonic studies performed, have been identified by avoiding positioning on active faults. The constructions of bridges suspended in the seismic area – are still detected – have always occurred in every part of the world in areas with the most relevant seismogenetic potentials of the Strait of Messina: Turkey; Greece; Japan; California. The seismogenetic potential of the Strait of Messina is not able to produce earthquakes greater than 7.1 of the Richter scale. In any case – finally reads – the bridge over the strait is designed to remain on the elastic field even with a higher magnitude ».
