Costa Concordia Wreck: Winter Weather Precautions
Works to increase stability of the uprighted, but still grounded, wreck are in progress at Giglio island as winter approaches.
Adverse weather conditions registered recently, have caused minor movements of the wreck, considered by engineers as settlement on the false seabed, confirm the need to move forward with the so-called winterization measures to further stabilize the wreck for the winter.
The Commissioner for the Concordia emergency Franco Gabrielli, the Chairman of the Observatory Maria Sargentini, Mayor Sergio Ortelli and representatives from Costa and Titan Micoperi, met with the population of Giglio to update them on activities planned and ongoing.
Three winterization precautions were explained:
- positioning of an additional hold-back system to avoid movements of the bow,
- installation of removable grout bags in the area between the wreck and the rocks on the land side
- the positioning of tubular structures that will connect the underwater platforms to the wreck itself (will be attached to the top of the sponsons) on the sea side.
In the meantime, structural surveys on the starboard side are in progress to define the repair operations necessary to position the 15 sponsons needed for the refloating phase.
Environmental monitoring is also on-going and results confirm Giglio sea water quality.