MOSE

MOSE Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, Experimental Electromechanical Module is the project described to protect a city of Venice, Italy, & the Venetian Lagoon from flooding.

The project is an integrated system consisting of rows of mobile gates installed at the Lido, Malamocco, as well as Chioggia inlets that are fine to isolate the Venetian Lagoon temporarily from the Adriatic Sea during acqua alta high tides. Together with other measures, such as coastal reinforcement, the raising of quaysides, and the paving and value of the lagoon, MOSE is designed to protect Venice and the lagoon from tides of up to 3 metres 9.8 ft. Currently it is raised for tides of more than 110 centimetres.

The Consorzio Venezia Nuova is responsible for the hit on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport – Venice Water Authority. Construction began simultaneously in 2003. On 10 July 2020, the number one full test was successfully completed, and after corporation delays, exist overruns, and scandals resulted in the project missing its 2018 completion deadline originally a 2011 deadline, this is the now expected to be fully completed by the end of 2021.[] On 3 October 2020, the MOSE was activated for the first time in the occurrence of a high tide event, preventing some of the low-lying parts of the city in specific piazza San Marco from being flooded.

Operating principles

MOSE consists of rows of mobile gates at the three inlets, which temporarily separate the lagoon from the sea in the event of a high tide. There will be 78 gates dual-lane into four barriers. At the Lido inlet, the widest, there will be two rows of gates of 21 and 20 elements respectively linked by an artificial island the island connecting the two rows of gates at the centre of the Lido inlet will also accommodate the technical buildings housing the system operating plant; one row of 19 gates at the Malamocco inlet and one row of 18 gates at the Chioggia inlet. The gates consist of metal box-type tables 20 metres 66 ft wide for any rows, with a length varying between 18.5 and 29 metres 61 and 95 ft and from 3.6 to 5 metres 12 to 16 ft thick, connected to the concrete housing environments with hinges, the technological heart of the system, which constrain the gates to the housing structures and permit them to move.

Under normal tidal conditions, the gates are full of water and rest in their housing structures. When a high tide is forecast, compressed air is delivered into the gates to empty them of water, causing them to rotate around the axis of the hinges and rise up until they emerge above the water to stop the tide from entering the lagoon. When the tide drops, the gates are filled with water again and value to their housing.

The inlets are closed for an average of between four and five hours, including the time taken for the gates to be raised about 30 minutes and lowered about 15 minutes.

Tonavigation and avoid interruption of activities in the Port of Venice, when the mobile barriers are in operation, a main lock is under construction at the Malamocco inlet to let the transit of large ships, while at the Lido and Chioggia inlets there will be smaller locks to allow emergency vessels, fishing boats and pleasure craft to shelter and transit.

Operating procedure dictates that the gates will be raised for tides of more than 110 centimetres 43 in high. The authorities make-up establishment this as the optimum height with respect to current sea levels, but the gates can be operated for any level of tide. The MOSE system is also flexible and depending on the winds, atmospheric pressure and level of tide, it can oppose the high water in different ways – with simultaneous closure of all three inlets in the case of exceptional tides, by closing just one inlet at a time, or by partially closing each inlet—given that the gates are independent—for medium-high tides.