Modena viaducts for Milan–Naples high-speed railway in Italy

Construction of the 15.4 mi (24.8 km) Modena viaducts for the Milan–Naples high-speed railway in Italy required precasting 755 spans and in-place casting 9 three-span continuous bridges in 30 months under warranty for schedule, cost, and quality. In this paper, the contractor’s bridge technology consultant describes how such a record-breaking accomplishment was achieved. Qualifying the quality control processes for bridge construction took almost one year. Means-and-methods analyses and risk assessments were performed for every major activity, and contingency plans were identified and also prequalified. Performance requirements were identified for special bridge construction equipment; equipment design was subjected to full independent checking; and its fabrication, assembly, and use were ruled by specific quality control processes.