The project MOSE is a project for the protection of the Venice from flood. The project is an integrated protection system, consisting of a series of mobile dams capable of isolating the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when the tide reaches a determined level (110 cm) and up to a maximum of three meters.
The idea is that before the arrival of flooding from the open sea, a special underwater dams closing three holes in the Lagoon of Venice – with the passage of Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia. During those few hours, the Venice lagoon would be closed and ships could not freely enter. These underwater partition doors would lie at the bottom of the sea and be constructed as special tanks filled with air or water. When filled with air, then they would rise to the surface of the sea and close their entrances to Laguna, and when the air was blown, they would rest at the bottom of the sea. The dam would be about 20 meters wide and the height would vary from sea depths – from 20 to 30 meters. The project provides for setting up around 78 dams, and their life span is about 50 years.
In one of the largest construction projects in the history of Italy worth more than 7 billion euros, two Croatian companies participate; Brodosplit and Gumiimpex-GRP.
Brodosplit will deliver 63 dams that include 20,000 tonnes of installed steel total value of works and logistics of over € 70 million. Parallel to the construction of steel dams in Brodosplit, Gumiimpex-GRP specializes in the production of protective rubber coatings, producing rubber bumpers that are part of the dam and lying on the seabed. It is important to emphasize the cooperation of Croatian companies and the decision of an Italian investor that after almost one year of testing in Chinese companies and dissatisfaction with the results, the construction of important equipment is entrusted to domestic companies.
A tool for the design and manufacture of rubber bumpers, in which after the formation and vulcanization process a rubber bumper with an impressive mass of 920 kg is formed, and on each steel blade several such bumpers are mounted, which at the level of the contracted project means delivery of about 300 pieces.
