Why is Venice sinking and is there anything we can do to stop it?
replied to: ignati
Replied to: Why is Venice sinking and is there anything we can do...
Buildings in Venice are at the mercy of flood tides from the Adriatic and have been rendered more vulnerable by 20th century drilling around the shores of the lagoon.
replied to: edimonk
Replied to: Buildings in Venice are at the mercy of flood tides from...
Some experts believe that it is possible to physically life the city as a whole, thereby protecting it for hundreds more years.
replied to: Augusta1
Replied to: Some experts believe that it is possible to physically life the...
Venice is sinking because of the natural springs that my mother and the population of the city used to be able to drink from the fountains no longer run.
You see the fresh water that used to flow through these fountains and down underneathe the foundations, which used to keep the wooden piles hydrated with fresh water and everything solid, these springs no longer run, which is now causing an osmosis type scenario to take place where there used to be fresh water there is now salt water seeping into the piles which is slowly rotting them.
There has been may attempts to halt the process by injecting concrete to replace any voids but this is much heavier than the original foundations, which is sitting on top of a softer base, thus sinking it further and quicker than ever.
Its a bit like when an old wooden ship wreck is lifted above the water for the first time in hundreds of years, once above water the timbers quickly rot when exposed to the air, so they have to re-hydrate and wash out the salt to stabalise it, or it would simply rot away.
They do this using P E G solution, in the form of a fine spray or mist, very slowly, rather similar to the fresh water from the fountains that used to flow in every street corner in the city.
Why does the water not flow anymore, is it because the powers at large wanted to charge everyone for their water or down to lack of maintainance ?
replied to: Augusta1
Replied to: Some experts believe that it is possible to physically life the...
Venice is sinking because of the natural springs that my mother and the population of the city used to be able to drink from the fountains no longer run.
You see the fresh water that used to flow through these fountains and down underneathe the foundations, which used to keep the wooden piles hydrated with fresh water and everything solid, these springs no longer run, which is now causing an osmosis type scenario to take place where there used to be fresh water there is now salt water seeping into the piles which is slowly rotting them.
There has been may attempts to halt the process by injecting concrete to replace any voids but this is much heavier than the original foundations, which is sitting on top of a softer base, thus sinking it further and quicker than ever.
Its a bit like when an old wooden ship wreck is lifted above the water for the first time in hundreds of years, once above water the timbers quickly rot when exposed to the air, so they have to re-hydrate and wash out the salt to stabalise it, or it would simply rot away.
They do this using P E G solution, in the form of a fine spray or mist, very slowly, rather similar to the fresh water from the fountains that used to flow in every street corner in the city.
Why does the water not flow anymore, is it because the powers at large wanted to charge everyone for their water or down to lack of maintainance ?