The work and the technique: Morasco Dam, Italy

Works to build the Morasco Dam were entrusted to the Girola company, which merged with the Webuild Group. 

To reach the construction site, at an altitude of 1,815 meters above sea level, it was necessary to build new roads, warehouses, and an entire village to house the men involved in the construction works. 

Since the gravel, sand and stones needed for the concrete production were not available in the area, a service railway line was built to reach the nearest quarry, located over 3 km away. Drill hammers, driven by special compressors, were used in the quarry. The stones were transported down the line, taken to special crushers, and then to the mills to obtain qualitatively suitable material. 

Instead, cement was transported from Domodossola by truck, then loaded onto cable cars to the dam. The concrete, produced in concrete mixers positioned on site, was collected in a truck, and brought up by two inclined crane beams at the lower end, and Blondin trucks at the higher end, facilitated with regard to handling by the massive wood and iron reinforcements built into the side of the dam.

Concrete was placed in a special formwork to give the desired shape.