Traversa Mirafiori: “A portion of the tunnel will be reproduced in 3D.”
A portion of the Mirafiori weir on the Trebbia River, specifically the section that channels water into the Rio Comune di Destra, will be digitally reconstructed in three dimensions as part of a collaborative initiative involving the Reclamation Consortium of Piacenza (Consorzio di Bonifica di Piacenza), the University of Brescia (3DGeoLab Laboratory, Department of DICATAM), and the Politecnico di Milano — 3DSurveyGroup Laboratory, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC).
The initiative aims to produce a precise three-dimensional model of the historic hydraulic structure. According to Federica Marotta, engineer in the technical office of the Reclamation Consortium and operational director of the Mirafiori site, the project will allow the exact tracing of the gallery’s position, assessment of its conservation condition, and development of a detailed digital reconstruction.
Survey activities began in October, 2025 with a comprehensive topographic campaign along the approximately 1.3-kilometer-long gallery. Fixed reference points (“targets”) were installed to establish a geodetic control network. The operations were conducted by coordinated teams working both inside the tunnel and on the surface to ensure accurate georeferencing within the cartographic system.
In February, 2026, the project advanced to the acquisition of three-dimensional data using laser scanning and photogrammetric techniques. Instruments were mounted on a floating platform moving with the water flow to collect images and laser measurements, which will generate point clouds for the construction of the 3D model. The innovative Ant3D photogrammetric system, composed of multiple synchronized cameras, was also tested as a tool for digital inspection in confined environments.
Associate Professor Francesco Fassi of Politecnico di Milano noted that one of the instruments used during the survey was developed at the polimi and originated from the doctoral research of Luca Perfetti, currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Brescia.
Mauro Chiesi, one of the speleologists who had previously inspected the gallery approximately twenty-five years ago, accompanied the team, providing valuable historical reference for the current survey activities.
Luigi Bisi, President of the Reclamation Consortium of Piacenza, emphasized the importance of the collaboration, highlighting that it enables universities to test advanced technologies in a real case study while providing the Consortium with a highly accurate survey of one of the most significant irrigation infrastructures in the region.
The Mirafiori weir, constructed in the second half of the nineteenth century near Rivergaro under the direction of Camillo Cavour, is a key component of the Trebbia irrigation district, which serves approximately 23,000 hectares of agricultural land. Although the central portion of the draining gallery collapsed in 2009 following flood events, the conduit that channels water into the Rio Comune di Destra remains in its original condition.
The project represents an important example of cooperation between institutional bodies and academic research laboratories in the application of advanced geomatics and 3D surveying methodologies to hydraulic infrastructure.
Originally reported by Libertà, 26 February 2026.
Full article available at: https://liberta.it/news/lifestyle/tech/traversa-mirafiori-una-porzione-della-galleria-sara-riprodotta-in-3d/104336