ARCUS Atlas record
Ponte Chiavalir
Total collapse of the Ponte Chiavalir on the SR552 (Strada Regionale 552 del Passo Rest) over the torrente Vielia at Tramonti di Sopra (Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia) on 15 December 2004 at approximately 10:00, during a static load test (collaudo statico) one hour before the official commissioning ceremony. Three trucks loaded with gravel were placed on the 30-metre span to verify its structural capacity; the bridge bent into a V-shape and all three trucks fell into the Vielia stream. Driver Angelo Picotto (75, Mortegliano) was trapped in his cab and sustained non-serious injuries; the other two drivers escaped. Expert investigation attributed the collapse to missing bolts and irregularities in construction execution. In December 2011, the Cassazione confirmed convictions for 4 of 6 defendants: designer Michele Artusato (1 year), site manager Franco Fusciello (8 months), builders Walter Ortolan and Domenico Bruno (1 year 4 months), and surveyor Vigilio Ciriani (1 year). The DB lists municipality as Tramonti di Sotto — corrected to Tramonti di Sopra based on all sources.
- ARCUS ID
- IT04.12.02
- Date
- 2004-12-15
- Municipality
- Tramonti di Sopra
- Province
- Pordenone
- Region
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Coordinates
- 46.3068, 12.7961 · exact location
- Crossing
- Vielia stream
- Use
- National
- Severity
- TC
- Structural type
- Beam bridge
- Material
- Steel
- Construction year
- 2004
- Cause category
- Human-induced
- Specific cause
- Design and Construction
- Failure trigger
- Static load test
- Failure process
- Bending
- Component involved
- Deck / superstructure
- Cause evidence
- Documented
- Source confidence
- High
- Victims
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
Documentary sources (3)
- Friuli – Durante collaudo crolla ponte: struttura si piega a V, 3 camion nel torrente (News · La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno · 2004-12-15)
- Ponte crollato al collaudo – causa da 373 mila euro: ponte Chiavalir Tramonti di Sopra 2004 (News · Messaggero Veneto · 2013-08-01)
- Tutti i ponti crollati in Italia: Tramonti di Sopra 2004 – condannati in Cassazione 2011 (News · AGI · 2018-08-15)