Risorgimento Bridge in Rome: An a Posteriori Possible Assessment

The iconic Risorgimento Bridge (1911), spanning 100 meters over the Tiber River in Rome, is a renowned cellular arch bridge influenced by Francois Hennebique’s insights. Initially debated as either arches or tapered beams, the Risorgimento-type bridge design raised safety concerns despite subsequent theoretical and experimental studies across Europe. This paper revisits historical interpretations, addressing original engineering inaccuracies related to structural behavior, redistribution effects, and concrete properties. Conducting a modern structural assessment using Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis based on the Modified Compression Field Theory at the ultimate limit state, the study validates pioneering intuitions of its designers. The analyses reveal an evolutive mechanism, transitioning from an initial elastic state to a more effective carrying behavior, emphasizing the collaborative role of the arch and cracked elements in the structure’s overall stability.