Fernando Lizzi
Encyclopedia
Fernando Lizzi was an Italian
civil engineer
. He is considered the father of micropile technology.
He was born in Castelnuovo di Porto
, Lazio, Italy
on January 2, 1914 and lived in Naples
for most of his childhood. At the age of 18 he went to Turin
Military Academy
where he graduated as a lieutenant
by the age of 22. After graduation he was sent to serve in Tripoli
. He was wounded and taken as a prisoner of war
during the World War II
, studying civil engineering
during his captivity. In 1946 he returned to Naples and got his diploma with summa cum laude.
Dr. Lizzi started to work for the company SACIF in 1947, but shortly afterwards was the first (and for some time, the only) civil engineer
of the newly formed company, Fondedile, where he remained as Technical Director for nearly 50 years. During this time while, Italy specifically, and Europe generally, were being reconstructed, he developed the technology later named pali radice (root pile, micropile) for the restoration of damaged monuments and buildings at the Scuola Angiulli in Naples. The first international application of micropiles was seen in Germany
in 1952 for the underpinning of Krupp
, in Essen
-Bochum
and then the Kerkini Dam in Greece
. The technique was later applied in hundreds of works by Fondedile in various countries. Pali radice have been used extensively in the restoration of monuments, e.g. Ponte Vecchio
in Florence
in 1966 and the stabilization of the Leaning Tower of Burano
in Venice
. He died in Naples on August 28, 2003.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He is considered the father of micropile technology.
He was born in Castelnuovo di Porto
Castelnuovo di Porto
Castelnuovo di Porto is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 25 km north of Rome....
, Lazio, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on January 2, 1914 and lived in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
for most of his childhood. At the age of 18 he went to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
Military Academy
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
where he graduated as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
by the age of 22. After graduation he was sent to serve in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. He was wounded and taken as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, studying civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
during his captivity. In 1946 he returned to Naples and got his diploma with summa cum laude.
Dr. Lizzi started to work for the company SACIF in 1947, but shortly afterwards was the first (and for some time, the only) civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
of the newly formed company, Fondedile, where he remained as Technical Director for nearly 50 years. During this time while, Italy specifically, and Europe generally, were being reconstructed, he developed the technology later named pali radice (root pile, micropile) for the restoration of damaged monuments and buildings at the Scuola Angiulli in Naples. The first international application of micropiles was seen in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1952 for the underpinning of Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
, in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
-Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
and then the Kerkini Dam in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The technique was later applied in hundreds of works by Fondedile in various countries. Pali radice have been used extensively in the restoration of monuments, e.g. Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1966 and the stabilization of the Leaning Tower of Burano
Burano
Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy; like Venice itself, it could more correctly be called an archipelago of four islands linked by bridges...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. He died in Naples on August 28, 2003.
Sources
- Restauro statico dei Monumenti (1981), The static restoration of monuments (1982) ISBN 8870580253
- Il consolidamento del terreno e dei fabbricati (1989), Editor Dario Flaccovio