Works are continuing at the Johannesburg work site

01.a
01.b
01
million) for the construction of one lot of the highway
running along the coast is currently on hold, and will
start to be implemented as soon as the situation in the
country allows for it. We would like to underline that
our exposure is currently zero, so the maximum risk
we are facing would be the cancellation of a contract
that is currently worth 3% of our portfolio and whose
implementation has not been included in the 20152017 Industrial Plan.
in the spotlight
by Roberto Macrì
A “Plan” increasingly
focused on foreign countries
01.a Roberto Macrì, Cmc’s
General Manager since 2009.
After graduating in Economics
from the University of Bologna,
On Saturday, 7 March, Cmc members’ assembly
unanimously approved the 2015-2017 Industrial
Plan. Here is a summary of the speech given
by Cmc’s General Manager Roberto Macrì.
he completed a Master
in Business Administration.
He joined Cmc in 1999
as Administrative, Finance,
Control and IT Systems Manager.
01.b Right to left: Alfredo
Fioretti, Cmc’s vice-President,
Mauro Lusetti, Legacoop’s
National President, Massimo
Matteucci and Roberto Macrì,
Cmc’s President and General
Manager, respectively.
01.c The Assembly’s Secretariat:
The years that lie ahead will still be characterised by
political, social, economic and financial turbulences
similar to the ones that are currently affecting some
areas close to Italy, like Greece, Ukraine, the Middle
East, and Southern Mediterranean countries. No ready
solutions to these current situations, unfortunately,
seem to be in sight. Our presence in as many
as approximately twenty different countries has
so far allowed us to compensate for the menace of local
critical issues of various sorts. However, there is also
a need to reflect upon our current exposure to similar
risks and look for a better balance in our activities,
favouring more stable areas, such as North America,
Northern Europe and, with a few exceptions, Asia.
from left to right, Giuliana
Fiammenghi, Valentina
Crociani, Claudia Rossi, Roberta
Gulminelli and Barbara Bertozzi.
Italy In Italy, most experts agree in pointing to 2015
as the year of economic recovery. As usual, the recovery
of the construction sector will probably have a different
timing, since design & engineering, tender procedures,
and the search for funds will take up at least three years
before the various work sites actually start operating.
The analysis departments of leading banks estimate
that the absorption of unsold properties in the real
estate sector will require at least five years, thereby
limiting the perspectives of the building sector to
restoration works only. The end-of-2014 portfolio,
amounting to approximately € 1.3 billion, and the
opportunity to acquire shares from our minority partners
in contracts already under way essentially ensure
our expected revenues for the next 3-year period.
While this scenario allows us to operate on the market
with no pressing needs to ‘secure contracts at all costs’,
it will be imperative to do our best and target our efforts
at the most important projects to be awarded over the
next few years. We also believe it will be necessary
to keep a strong focus on niche markets, such
as maritime projects, contracts for the American
Government, restoration works, and hospital projects.
We do not plan, conversely, any further activities
in the concession market, from which we have
started disinvesting – a process that is expected
to be completed by the end of 2015.
Europe In Europe our interest, so far, was mainly
p.03 la Betoniera
focused on Eastern European countries, where we have
an ongoing project in Bulgaria. However, the fiercer and
fiercer competition does not seem to allow us to achieve
results, in these areas, in line with what we normally
expect from projects carried out abroad, with
the exception of particularly complex works, such
as underground works and hydropower projects.
Taking the same specialized approach, we are now
taking into consideration other European countries,
particularly Scandinavia, where we are likely to find
more favourable market conditions.
The Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East
In the Mediterranean Basin and in the Middle East,
the investment plans made by oil producing countries,
the holding of several important international events
such as the Expo 2015 and the football World Cup,
together with the general weakness of local businesses,
create outstanding opportunities for international
contractors. So far - and provided this phenomenon
does not become systemic - the drop in oil prices has
not severely affected the governments’ spending on
infrastructures. In these areas, our objectives remain
ambitious, but need to be supported by our business
commitment: our commercial choices need to be
reviewed in order to ensure they are consistent with
the market’s great expectations and our currently limited
‘firepower’. As regards Libya, the existing approximately
€ 1 billion contract (our share being around € 100
01.c
Asia Asia is still a fast-developing continent. In Asia,
our presence in India, Singapore, Nepal, China, and
Bangkok with our representative offices confirms our
great interest and expectations towards this area.
In over twenty years we have excavated more than
200 km of hydraulic tunnels in China and tunnels
for transportation purposes in Malaysia, Taiwan and
Singapore, and built hydropower stations in Laos and
the Philippines. We will keep looking for opportunities,
particularly in the underground and hydropower sectors,
in many countries in Asia, and we are also considering
the possibility to further strengthen our sales structure
and invest in more acquisitions. India deserves
a separate mention: the project that is currently
ongoing there will be the ultimate test to define
our next strategies on this market.
North and South America We are currently operating
in the United States through two subsidiaries: Lmh in
Boston (of which we have held 100% since 2011) and
Di Fazio Industries in Nyc (in which we have held a 33%
share since 2013, with an option right to acquire control
in 2017). The country’s economy and, consequently, the
construction sector in the areas where we are currently
operating are consistently showing signs of recovery and
this leads us to think that the good results achieved so
far will be confirmed over the next three-year period.
We are currently evaluating the possibility to take up
larger contracts, together with appropriate and reliable
partners, directly involving our headquarters from both
a financial and technical standpoint, as well as to expand
to other countries, e.g. Canada, mainly in relation
to underground works. We have also started activities
in Chile for the construction of the ‘Alto Maipo’
hydropower station in joint venture with the German
company Hoctief. Unfortunately, the acquisition of
Hoctief by Spanish Dragados has thwarted all our plans
of a further commercial partnership and is forcing us to
find alternatives for our development in Latin America.
01.d
Austral and Eastern Africa Austral Africa is the
cornerstone of our activities abroad. In South Africa and
Lesotho we have numerous ongoing projects and can
rely on more than €150 million annual revenues, which
we expect to maintain also after 2015, when the
construction of the large hydropower station in Ingula
is completed. We have finally resumed works on
an important road project in Angola, after finalising
the funding of this job order through several European
banks and its insurance coverage through Sace –
the same formula we are applying for the contract
awarded to us in Kenya.
In Mozambique we are still facing difficulties
in collecting debts owed to us by the public institutions
and, in the meantime, we have streamlined our
structure while waiting for developments in the
investments made in the exploitation of natural gas
fields. We are obviously maintaining our commercial
offices also in the countries where we are not currently
operating, but where we are looking forward to
interesting opportunities, e.g. in Namibia and Swaziland.
The Romagna region Although, by now, revenues in
the area where our headquarters are based only account
for 1% of the overall volumes, we maintain strong
relations with our region of origin, and we are fully
aware of our business and social responsibility. In the
absence of major infrastructure projects and in the light
of the crisis in the real estate sector, we cannot see any
short-term possible developments, with the exception
of some activities in the port of Ravenna. This is by no
means the appropriate venue to mention the currently
ongoing debate on the situation of the Ravenna port.
Let us simply reiterate our interest, also as potential
investors, in the logistics sector in its entirety. By and
large, we can hope that our area’s public good will
prevail and that the current stalemate will be overcome.
Company organisation and human resources
policies The crisis on the Italian market, our wider
presence abroad, and technological advancements are
radically changing our Cooperative’s operating structure.
The number of permanently-employed personnel has
dropped from 486 people in 2007 to 461 at the end
of 2014. Even more significant has been the change
01.e
in the internal structure. Indeed, the number of clerks,
managers and executives has increased (from 290
to 328), as well as that of employees holding a degree
(from 91 to 131).
The workers employed in our work sites have increased
from 4,601 in 2007 to 8,548 at the end of 2014.
A considerable share is represented by so-called Tcns,
Third Country Nationals, i.e. people that are neither
Italian nor from the country where they are currently
working. These are human resources that have been
working with Cmc for many years and that are gradually
becoming the ‘backbone’ of our operations abroad.
We will keep hiring young people for the various sites,
moving to permanent positions the best resources that
have completed their training.
Our human capital needs to develop consistently
with our expected growth. Our 2015 activities will
thus focus on training and development opportunities
for the most critical resources: work site managers,
production managers, technical managers. Our training
programme should reconsider the role of Cmc University
and the need, if any, to upgrade it; moreover, training
will be intensified in our work sites abroad.
Our 2015-2017 Plan is based on the assessment
of our current portfolio (see Table 1). Compared
to the previous years, while the overall portfolio value
remains stable at around €3 billion, the Italy / foreign
countries ratio has changed, in just a few years, from
60-40 to 45-55. (see Table 2)
In conclusion, in spite of the persisting deep crisis
in our sector in Italy and of an increasingly competitive
international scenario, more and more prone
to political, social and economic risks, we have
kept growing, in line with our plans. Our current
order portfolio allows for a satisfactory achievement
of our objectives for the next three-year period in Italy,
while abroad we will have to keep up our commercial
strength, with a special focus on the volumes forecasted
for the last years of the plan.
In July 2014, Cmc was the first Cooperative in the
world to issue €300 million-worth bonds listed on
the Milan and Luxembourg stock exchanges, supported
by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s ratings and thereby
substantially diversifying the Group’s financial
policies, in a world where lending constraints play
an increasingly crucial role in the companies’ life
and chances to survive.
Trying to summarise this Plan in a few lines, we believe
that the most important aspects for each and every
one of us to bear in mind are the following:
• Maintaining and constantly improving our
ability to “do”. Building complex engineering works
efficiently while ensuring quality and safety is our
only chance to survive on the global market.
• Enhancing and developing our human capital.
Every one of us has the responsibility to train and
allow to grow those who will be the future of our
Cooperative.
• Settle any disputes and recover debts owed
to us in Italy and abroad, even risking deteriorating –
if this means ensuring that our rights are respected –
our relations with our clients. This objective leads to
the need to fulfil three more vital conditions set forth
by the Plan, i.e. improving our net financial position
and, consequently, reducing our financial charges;
normalising our relations with suppliers; and being
able to make the investments necessary for the
Cooperative’s further development.
As usual, it will not be easy. We will do our best,
knowing that everyone of us, be they a member
or an employer of the Cooperative, will also
ensure their full commitment.
p.04 la Betoniera
Cmc’s order portfolio only includes contracts that have been:
a. awarded to Cmc b. entirely funded.
02.a
It is not just about working well in the sectors we are
already operating in. Let’s consider the building industry,
for example. Two are the main paths for development at
the moment. One is internationalisation, but not
everyone can dip into that. In order to be able to expand
abroad, significant efforts must have been made
in this direction for quite some time, like Cmc has done.
02
02.b
02.c
the interview
by Roberto Seghetti
Signs of recovery
are still tentative
02.a Legacoop’s national
President, Mauro Lusetti,
during his speech at Cmc
members’ meeting.
02.b Massimo Matteucci.
02.c Mauro Lusetti.
“The congress was a high moment for our
organisation. With the Rome meeting, we closed
three months of intense regional debates.
The result was truly satisfactory: a substantial
change in the executive leadership has been
launched, as seen from the delegates and the
regional and national executives, and it was one
with no tearing or scrapping, one that has
developed naturally”.
02.d-e The Council
of Delegates and the members’
meeting at the Empedocle
construction site in Sicily
in preparation for the General
Assembly.
A few months after Legacoop’s national congress
last December – which was a turning point for the
cooperative movement, giving it renewed impetus after
an economic crisis that put most businesses to the test
and a series of events that almost tarnished its image La Betoniera takes stock of the work done so far with
Legacoop’s President Mauro Lusetti. “To begin with,
immediately after the congress – said Lusetti – we took
a first step to achieve the objectives set by the congress
to increase cooperative presence in the executive bodies:
out of 23 members of the national presidency, 12 are
now presidents of cooperatives”.
The Parliament and the Government are
introducing various changes in economic
legislation. Are legislative changes needed
for cooperatives too? “At the moment, rather than
changes in legislation we need to continue working
02.d
p.05 la Betoniera
on the organisation of the cooperative movement. The
activities that took place in January included the change
in leadership of the Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane
(Alliance of Italian Cooperatives), with the election of
new President Rosario Altieri, and the meetings of the
four inter-confederation working groups. We have two
years to achieve our goal of completing the formation
of the Alliance by January 2017”.
The congress’s decisions also covered the idea
of simplifying the structure of industry sector
representation. Have steps been taken in this
direction? “In terms of industry sectors too, the work
has started to implement the objectives set by the
congress. We need to simplify the representation
structure. Legacoop Servizi has begun reflecting on how
to best achieve this with Legacoop Produzione e Lavoro;
the fish sector and the agricultural cooperatives have
started to work to create a food industry division;
housing cooperatives and social cooperatives aim
to create e welfare division; a similar focus is driving
the work of the culture, tourism and media sectors.
It is a matter of simplifying the various entities,
in a manner that will allow to fully represent the
complexities of today’s economy and society. It is very
important that repositioning efforts are made in terms
of staying current and innovate. In today’s world,
intensive innovation is key, even in the individual sectors.
02.e
The other path regards national activities. Expansion
is no longer an option in the building industry. However,
there are a number of areas of activity in which
work opportunities and flows are still available:
the completion of the national infrastructure,
the improvement of land safety, especially in terms
of hydro-geological structure, urban regeneration, etc..
If efforts are made to stop operating only in terms
of responding to emergencies and to start thinking
in terms of protecting the environment and the local
territory, as I believe it should be done, both public
and private investments are likely to begin to increase
in these areas of activity. Whether the resources
employed are many or few, if a medium–to-long-term
approach is applied, the resulting work flow will be likely
to play an important part in granting positive continuity
to businesses. In order to be able to seize these
opportunities, however, technical and professional
skills are required that are adequate to meet the new
challenges and commitments”.
Are we seeing the light at the end of the tunnel
with this crisis yet? “First of all, it should be noted
that, generally speaking, 2014 was a rather - let’s say problematic year. The cooperative movement has been
able to reaffirm its resilience, but has also suffered some
heavy blows in the housing and building sectors,
although services and social cooperatives have
witnessed an increase in numbers. It must be said that
another year like this would prove fatal for many of our
businesses. What we are beginning to see, however,
confirms the GDP data recorded for the last quarter
of 2014, with some signs of movement also in this first
part of 2015 in terms of consumption, calls for tenders
and some limited public investments”.
Can we be optimistic then? “These signs are so timid
that no forecasts can be attempted. The freefall has
stopped and we are no longer losing. That much is true.
But we are still in the midst of a difficult passage”.
2014 was also the year in which some events
took place that almost tarnished the image
of the cooperative movement. What actions are
you taking to fight the battle against illegality?
“This year we will be collecting signatures in favour
of a proposed draft law against scam cooperatives.
Through this initiative we intend to give a firm sign
of our position in the battle for legality. It must be made
clear that there are no differences between large
businesses and small businesses, between cooperatives
and conventional businesses, but only between honest
people and people who commit crimes. This distinction
must be very clear-cut. Unfortunately, some
contamination has affected us too. This experience
should make us think more and prompt us to make
sure that our values, the values under which we were
born and which we still regard as our own, are not
just proclaimed, but are enforced and lived tangibly,
every day, in our activities, our work, our relationship
with members”.
0.3.b
0.3.a
to highlight – said Sonia – that almost the entirety
of our Cooperative’s permanent employees, who
represent different age brackets and professions,
are also cooperative members, and this means that
the good and interests of the workers and those
of the Cooperative often overlap”.
03
back in…
by Mara Cavallari
Thank you, Mr President!
03.a-b President Giorgio
Napolitano during his visit
at Cmc’s headquarters
on 8 January 2011.
03.c Right to left: vice President Guido Leoni,
Ravenna Mayor Fabrizio
Saturday 8 January 2011: a date that will always
be part of Cmc’s history. Indeed, on that day,
the celebrations for the Cooperative’s 110th
anniversary (it was established on 7 March 1901)
started in the most prestigious way, with the visit
of then-President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio
Napolitano, to Cmc’s historical headquarters,
in via Trieste 76 in Ravenna.
Matteucci, President Giorgio
Napolitano, and Massimo
Matteucci.
03.d Sonia Stefania
during her speech.
03.e The cuirassiers
in front of Cmc.
It was a long-planned day, with official protocols
to follow and the emotions that always accompany
a one-in-a-lifetime event. At the time, Guido Leoni,
who is now retired, was the Cooperative’s vicePresident, and the Master of Ceremony on that day.
He still vividly remembers the emotions he felt
on that special occasion.
“I remember those frantic moments, everyone’s
tension and focus on ensuring that everything would
go smoothly. And I remember the great pride that
pervaded the entire enterprise: that visit was giving
great prestige to all of us”.
What were the main problems you had to deal
with? “Obviously all the aspects related to security.
The Ravenna Police blocked off the entire area. But
what really drove us crazy was the President’s security.
Another challenge was ensuring full compliance with
the very rigid President’s protocol. More specifically,
there was the case of the chair: we clearly wanted the
President to have an imposing, elegant chair. We went
all the way to the Russi Town Hall, as they had said
they would be ready to lend us an ancient chair,
almost a small throne. However, at the end plans
were changed and we used a standard leather chair
taken from our offices”.
Another person that holds unforgettable memories
of that special day is Sonia Stefania, who officially
represented Cmc’s employees. “That day has joined
all those memories that time can hardly blur or delete –
she says today, 4 years later – Excitement, tension, pride,
anxiety, satisfaction, interest…are only some of the
words that can summarise the feelings I had on that
occasion, when I was asked to be the spokesperson
and representative of part of our Cooperative in front
of our Head of State”.
It was then the turn of President Napolitano, whose
short speech mainly focused on Cmc’s activities abroad.
“Mind you – he said –, you have an important
responsibility, as is the case for all the businesses
that operate outside our country: the responsibility
to show the best of Italy’s abilities and skills, the best
of our resources and potential, and also the best of
our country’s many traditions. You represent a great
tradition and are a great cooperative”.
“4 years later – says Guido Leoni today – I would like
to thank once more Mr Napolitano, who in the
meantime resigned from his long mandate as President
of the Republic, for honouring us with his presence.
It was an honour to meet in person a great President
that was a strong reference point for everyone when
Italy was going through a very difficult time”.
Let’s conclude with Sonia’s words. “Today I would
like to tell Giorgio Napolitano that over all these years
I have never felt betrayed by him. The institutions are
truly the pillars of a civil and democratic society, and
in my opinion President Napolitano fulfilled his role
as best as he could, showing professional and human
qualities that we should draw inspiration from. A man,
by himself, cannot certainly drive the deep change
of an entire society or economy; he can only contribute
to a process that is influenced by other factors and
circumstances. His mandate should also be set against
a very difficult economic and social scenario. President
Napolitano did his part and today, just like on that
day – with some regret for the restless passing of time –
I can only say: “Thank you, Mr President!”.
03.c
What did the President tell you when he greeted
you? “Nothing personal, but his handshake and warm
smile have remained engraved in my memory more than
any possible words or speeches. However, I had the
feeling that Giorgio Napolitano appreciated the fact that
my speech was given by a young woman”. On that day
Cmc’s headquarters were packed with Cooperative
members and employees as well as many public authorities.
Cmc’s President, Massimo Matteucci, started his
speech by sharing his emotions and thanking President
Napolitano on behalf of the entire Cooperative for
having honoured them by accepting their invitation.
He then spoke about the Cooperative’s long path and
evolution over the course of the years. “Mr President –
said, among other things, Mr Matteucci – the building
that is hosting us today was originally an old warehouse
built to host the mechanical and carpentry workshops
and the production of cement items. After being
restored, this building has now become our
Cooperative’s headquarters. The facilities that once
witnessed the labour of workers have been turned
into the offices where our entire Group is governed
and managed. If one looks closely, this can simply and
charmingly symbolise the transformations that have
occurred over time and how much we have changed
since then”.
03.e
After Matteucci’s speech Sonia Stefania took the
floor, representing – as previously mentioned –
Cmc’s employees and trade unions. “It is important
03.d
04.a
represented by young people, is one of the core values
of cooperation – commented, in turn, Cmc’s President,
Massimo Matteucci - It is important for information
and experience to be exchanged and shared within
businesses, also through events like today’s».
Against a scenario in which unemployment among
young people reaches peaks of 40%, cooperatives are
affected too, and so are their members and workers.
However, thanks to their nature and founding values,
the world of cooperatives seems to be reacting better
than traditional businesses.
«Cooperatives can produce innovation and are able
to constantly renovate and open up to the new labour
market – stated Giovanni Monti, the President
of Legacoop Emilia-Romagna – We are faced with
a tough challenge, i.e. being fine-tuned to the social
and economic needs of our communities, with the need
to ensure growth and create new jobs. In our region,
from 2008 to date we have created 7% more new jobs,
against the 3.5% recorded by other businesses. This
is undoubtedly a dramatic time, but the cooperatives
sector is proving its ability to renovate, as was the case
of Cmc, which in the past decided to disinvest from
the real estate sector and work more on international
markets».
04
04.b
04.c
cooperation
by Nicole Triboli
“Al Lavoro!” Italian Minister
Poletti visits Cmc
04.a.d Minister Giuliano Poletti
and journalist Gianni Riotta.
04.b Cmc’s vice-President,
Alfredo Fioretti.
04.c Genrazioni Romagna’s
Coordinator, Rudy Gatta.
On Friday 23 January Cmc’s headquarters hosted
a meeting between the Italian Minister for Labour,
Giuliano Poletti, and journalist and communication
expert Gianni Riotta, who were joined on the
stage by the President of Legacoop EmiliaRomagna, Giovanni Monti, and the Chairman
of insurance company Unipol-Sai, Pierluigi
Stefanini, in front of a large number of young
people and cooperative members.
04.e The welcoming
speech by Cmc’s President,
Massimo Matteucci.
“Al Lavoro!” (Let’s get to work!) was organised by
Generazioni and Legacoop Romagna and was the first
event in 2015 involving Legacoop’s network of under
-40 cooperative members.
A large number of cooperative members was present
and there were many contributions from the audience:
among others, Alfredo Fioretti, Cmc’s young vicePresident, shared his experience, highlighting the
importance of offering young people real opportunities
and fully involving them in the spirit of mutual
cooperation, so as to develop the sense of belonging
and trust typical of cooperatives. «I started working in
Cmc ten years ago, when I was thirty. Today, thanks to
the experience I have gained, the skills I have acquired,
04.d
and the spirit that my colleagues have passed down
on me, I am proud to be the vice-President of
a cooperative that has proven its faith in young people
by entrusting them with important roles and positions».
Rudy Gatta, the Coordinator of Generazioni for the
Romagna region, opened the event underlining its core
themes, i.e. entrepreneurial spirit and young people:
«Reflecting upon these strategic aspects, we decided
to invite Minister Poletti because at this specific time
in history the key to the future of our generations is,
indeed, employment».
It was not by chance that this conference was held at
Cmc. Cmc is a cooperative that has always been able
to take up the challenges related to innovation and has
effectively responded to technological advancements
by developing its activities and creating employment
for thousands of workers throughout the world.
«We thought it would be meaningful to meet here –
continued Mr Gatta – because Cmc combines the keywords we have drawn inspiration from for this event:
employment, generations, future, and innovation».
«The continuity between our history and the future,
04.e
p.07 la Betoniera
The vital role played by “change” in the current context
was also emphasised by Minister Poletti in his vis-à-vis
with Mr Riotta: «The starting point is that we need to
change our approaches and policies, because figures
are clearly telling us that the Italian labour market is not
operating effectively. With the so-called Jobs Act the
Italian Government is trying to reverse the current trend,
offering more guarantees and promoting permanent
jobs. Today, only 15% of newly-recruited personnel is
hired on a permanent basis, and we cannot say that the
market is working as expected. Employment can only
increase if the economy is growing and investments are
made, thereby creating new opportunities».
«Italy is struggling to change – continued Mr Riotta –
because it does not realise that innovation is a process,
and may sometimes be a long and painstaking one. Our
country has not been growing for generations, now.
This means we are currently going through a stagnation
phase, and in this way we cannot overcome the crisis».
Minister Poletti agreed with the journalist and
mentioned another problem that Italy is currently facing:
«We need a radical change, but for a long time now
decision-makers have no longer been making decisions.
This promotes the status quo and privileged positions:
we need to push businesses to change, taking the risk
of involving younger people in decision-making
processes. This also applies, and even more so,
to cooperatives, which would otherwise become
crystallized organisations».
«What is needed is real change – stated Mr Stefanini –,
but change is not a neutral process: employment must
go hand in hand with dignity, and be part of a wide,
shared project aimed at creating new opportunities and
stemming from a concept of economy in which sharing
and collective responsibility prevail».
Values like responsibility, sharing and intergenerational
mobility make up the Dna of cooperatives and
cooperatives should revive their pride in this and
“throw their heart over the bar”, finding once more
their traditional courage in order to keep making
innovative choices and finding clever ways out
of the current challenging situation.
05
training
by Valentina Crociani
The challenge of motivating
05.a Fabio Fanecco.
05.a
05.b Group picture during
reportees and – particularly – the behaviours that
allow them to be a charismatic, authoritative leader,
and an effective motivator.
the workshop in Singapore.
Alessandro, what did you expect from this course
and how do you think it can be useful in your dayto-day organisation and management activities?
AG I expected from this course exactly what I found:
two intense days, full of precious ideas that one can
apply in his professional and social life. Respect for
the people and good communication mean added
value in our daily professional life.
We interviewed Mr Fabio Fanecco, engineer, from
Bologna University Business School, who held the
course, and our colleague Alessandro Gordini,
27 years old, who holds a degree in Political Science
and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration
and who has been in charge of management control
in Singapore for the last eleven months.
According to the participants and the trainer
himself, this recent workshop had a very
practical approach and was extremely fruitful
for all attendees. What outcomes are you looking
forward to in the short and long term?
FF These outcomes cannot be measured using a specific
performance indicator. I think Cmc should be praised
and rewarded for its strong commitment towards
investing in training activities focused on increasing
the value of its human capital. I do hope that the people
that took part in this workshop will do their best to
encourage and lead their reportees, not only in their
job, but also towards achieving their objectives and
personal aspirations, to meet their needs as human
beings. This, in turn, can generate great momentum
within Cmc, and become a common drive towards
corporate objectives.
AG I think it was a very useful experience, but also
that many meetings are still needed to convey a strong
corporate culture. It is necessary to train professionals
that, in turn, will be able to generate a highly strategic
value and, consequently, a competitive advantage that
will push the enterprise ahead of its competitors.
Mr Fanecco, Cmc was fully committed to this
workshop, to the point that, before Singapore,
it organised it both in Italy and in Johannesburg.
What were the objectives that you and the
Cooperative defined when you devised this
workshop, and have they been successfully
achieved?
FF This workshop is part of a training cycle aimed
at increasing managerial skills that Cmc launched
some time ago. Within this framework, we have
organised a new workshop focused on understanding
motivation as a source of inspiration to achieve
corporate objectives. Whether these goals have been
achieved is not up to me to say; these are processes
that, once launched, may lead to results that can be
measured over time, not immediately. However, I did
notice considerable attention and interest among
all participants. I met qualified people, willing to learn
about motivational levers and the tools that a manager
needs to have available in order to motivate their
Based on your experience, what does
“motivating” and “being motivated” mean from
a professional viewpoint? Which one of these
aspects do you think can be more challenging
to achieve set objectives?
FF In my opinion the concept of motivation within
companies has radically changed over the last few
years. Some time ago motivation, in the professional
sector, was understood as “the expression of the
motives that lead an individual to take a certain action”.
Today, in companies, I still see people that have
no motivation to work in environments they do not
have any passion for, but that also believe this is the
only chance to have a secure salary. Looking for
a new job or a different employer is too risky for them;
only few people do that. On the other hand, it is
unbelievable to notice how many companies, especially
Italian ones, still associate the concept of motivation
to the image of “the carrot and the stick”, a system
that is uniquely based on reward or punishment and
Following the courses in Bologna and
Johannesburg in September and October
2014, last 22 and 23 November the workshop
“Motivating collaborators” was held in Singapore.
The workshop was targeted at Cmc’s management
working in Asia and was part of the
“Managerial behaviours for leadership”
cycle that started in 2012.
05.b
that has driven the world’s economic development
for the last two centuries. For decades now,
in companies, motivation has been pursued applying
obsolete training methods: virtuous behaviours are
reinforced, wrong behaviours are punished. In order
to change this approach, it is important to spread
among employees a corporate vision by adopting
a human resources management model based
on the development of skills as part of “team work”.
This is, I think, one of the most challenging aspects
for a business aiming at ambitious goals. One needs
to look deep inside every person.
AG For sure, motivating and being motivated are
two major, equally tough challenges. I do not have
much experience at “motivating”, but I think that –
first and foremost – motivating means “inspiring”.
I am convinced that setting the example has a much
stronger impact than any other method aimed
at motivating, because it leads people to continuously
improve. One necessarily has to be what they would
like to see in other people, that’s why I think that
in order to set the example it is crucial to have a strong
personal motivation. Another very important aspect
is being aware of the way we communicate with
the people around us: the sense of respect within
the professional and personal context in which
we live heavily depends on that. Being motivated,
conversely, means looking for motivation within.
Personal motivation, be it strengthened or weakened
by external factors, must always and above all start
from a deep inner conviction. Another crucial element
is the constant will to learn, to always get involved
so as to grow both personally and professionally,
to look for new stimuli and situations that can satisfy
us from a professional standpoint, and to always
be ready to do better.
Considering the current global socio-economic
scenario, what do you think are the challenges
a business is faced with in terms of training and –
more specifically – training managers?
FF Each of us has an endless “reservoir” of energy
related to their specific potential. The greatest
challenge a business has to face in terms of training
is ensuring that its resources take a first step from
within, i.e. they become aware of their Own,
One-Of-A-Kind Potential. The starting point
must be identifying and enhancing the individual’s
potential and revealing the needs and wishes that
everyone hides within, and that may sometimes
be concealed or “blocked”. I think this is the successful
recipe that every company leader should know and
be able to implement, throughout all company levels
and functions.
AG The global socio-economic scenario keeps
changing, and so does the world of large multinational
companies. I think that a modern, advanced company
should first of all hire young people qualified in various
disciplines and willing to test themselves and
be involved, with no fear to change functions, roles
or geographical area. As a consequence, I think it
is vital to constantly train key human resources in order
to create high-level, all-round professionals capable
of tackling the many, and diverse, challenges, that
a business like Cmc has to face on a daily basis.
I believe it is necessary to train flexible and “creative”
professional figures, that will no longer be required
to repeatedly fulfil the same tasks, but, rather,
will have to find clever and aware approaches
to various situations. Today we are expected to do
a lot more than in the past, with less available resources.
How would you define this workshop,
using one adjective?
FF Only one adjective: gratifying. This experience
has been an incredible source of motivation for me.
AG A good start.
06.1.a
64 irregularities were identified, of these 13% involved
deficiencies in the construction of scaffolding structures,
17% shortcomings in the electrical systems, 9%
shortcomings in the use of personal protection
equipment, while the remaining 61% regarded
other non-conformities with legal requirements.
In 2014, average scores related to the irregularities
found were more or less the same as the year before.
06.1
06.1.b
06.1.c
safety
by Maurizio Didonè
2015 will bring many challenges and, I hope, further
success for the Safety and Environmental Service. Over
the next year too, the Service will continue to support
work sites in the provision of training and awareness
raising activities. Following the success achieved in
the last few months, through the active efforts of our
dedicated personnel, we aim to continue organising
awareness meetings on the topics of occupational
safety and environmental protection. In 2014, the above
meetings produced the following results:
• an increase in training/information activities (Toolbox);
• an increase in the number of reports (near-miss).
These results highlight a significant increase in the
awareness of workers on these topics. May we extend
once again our congratulations to the winners and
remind you all that safety in the workplace depends
first and foremost upon ourselves.
See you again at “Vai sul Sicuro!” 2015.
List of winners
“Vai sul Sicuro 2014”:
the winners
06.1.a The winners from
the Ancona Port.
06.1.b Maurizio Didonè.
06.1.c Pulejo and Bona
from the Piombino work site.
The winners of the “Vai sul Sicuro!” awards were
announced during the members’ meeting on 7
March. Chosen in the maritime sector, the winners
for Italy are the Piombino and Ancona work sites,
while the winners in the foreign category are the
PMs and HSE Managers at the Coca Cola work site
in Mozambique.
The awards ceremony for the 11th “Vai sul Sicuro!”
(Play it safe!) corporate awards took place during
the members’ meeting at the Grand Hotel Mattei
in Ravenna, Teodorico room, on March 7. Amongst
the congratulations from the delegates attending
the meeting, the winners for Italy were awarded their
certificates by the President, together with a traditional
memento of the initiative, while the winners in the
foreign category were awarded their acknowledgements
electronically, via a direct contact. The winners in this
edition were colleagues in the maritime sector.
The choice was made on the basis of two key criteria:
3 questions to...
3 questions to Barbara Doronzo and Gloria Bassi,
Quality and Safety Officers at two of this year’s
winner work sites: Piombino and Ancona.
Can you describe the work site for which you
were one of the winners at the Vai sul Sicuro
awards 2014?
Barbara The Emergency Safety Works project at the
Piombino port began in 2012 and has now reached
the completion phase. On 2 February, the end of the
works was officially announced: two 455m-long
commercial wharfs, equipped with a perpendicular
jetty for the mooring of Ro-Ro ships are the first large
construction project delivered by Cmc to the Tuscan
port. The “Piombino II” project, instead, began in
April 2014 and involves the extension of the inner
breakwater, the construction of the new outer
breakwater, the reclamation of an area of land
from the sea, protected with natural rocks, for the
dumping of dredged spoils, an operational yard
and a sheet pile quay. The diversity of the works,
a feature shared by both contracts, has required and
requires the presence on site of 10-12 contractors
at once and approximately 80-90 workers.
Gloria Cmc has two work sites at Ancona Port. On 22
March, 2012, Ati (in which Cmc holds 50.1% proxy
and is the lead Company) was awarded the contract
for the construction of the new outer breakwater.
The works involve the casting of a breakwater made
of rubble, natural rocks and approximately 10,400
tetrapods. They are pre-fabricated and put in place
directly by Cmc, using its own means and workforce.
Prefabrication operations currently involve 14
p.09 la Betoniera
the level of compliance with occupational safety
standards and the trend in occupational accidents
at the work site for the year. The level of compliance
is determined from the results of the inspections
conducted at the site during the year, leading to the
assignment of a specific score for each site, based
on the number of irregularities identified during
the inspections. Irregularities are weighted according
to their severity, depending on the extent of their
consequences in the event of an accident. For example,
a deficiency which could lead to an accident with
irreversible or fatal consequences would be weighted
more than other irregularities.
The scores obtained by adding up all the irregularities
weighted as above allows to compile a short list
of the safest work sites. In 2014, 63 inspections
were conducted in Italy, in addition to the ones
carried out on a daily basis by the site’s own prevention
and protection service.
workers, while positioning activities require the use
of a pontoon boat and a cable excavator. Both jobs
are expected to be completed by June 2015.
What does safety mean for you?
Barbara The first technical interaction with the word safety
often takes place at school, where the purely regulatory
and academic approach often fails to enable students to
fully appreciate its importance and diversity of meaning.
The word safety is a synonym of freedom: the freedom to
work in a safe environment, coordinating all site activities
and safeguarding the health and safety of all workers,
while still pursuing the planned productivity targets.
Gloria Safety means contributing to the reduction of the
risks that may be involved in the performance of each
activity, doing everything possible to prevent such risks
so as to protect the workers. It is therefore important
to continue raising awareness on this topic, because
it means focusing on preserving life.
New Coca-Cola Bottling Facility Baby Boleley, Crespo
Macuvele, Jonas Mafumo, Nataniel Simbine, Mário
Ducay, Jovelito Rayes, Giuseppe Cattaneo, Giuseppe
Facchinetti, Dauchande Martims, Zito Silva P. Mugoa,
André Carlos, David Chongo, Célio Gaspar, António
Naife, Benedito Cabral, Gabriel Miguel, Francísco Bila,
Basílio Mendes, Cesar Sousa, Joaquim Miguel Tómas,
Acácio José Ferreira, David Paulo, Manuel Barbosa,
Arlindo Salazar, Cristian Dussin, Stefano Bonaventura,
Gianni Baldisser, Fernando Guirrugo, Ibrahimo Mahoche,
Bertino Alberto, José Pechiço, Alberto Pechiço, Matias
Samuel, Felix Alberto, A-mérico Zivane, António Bombe,
Abel Litige, Adolfo Libombo, Crimildo Vilanculos, Batho
Diseko, Mª Inês Garcia, Valente Sitoe, Rosta Vuma,
Sebastião Salomão, Euclides Eusébio, Jorge Gingo,
Eusébio Keguelane, José Estevão, Wilson Chidambo.
Ancona Port - Tetrapods and Newport Alessandro
Depasquale, Alessandro Maltoni, Angelo Fornaro,
Antonio Loscialpo, Dino Soldati, Edmond Haskaj,
Francesco Tolentino, Giampaolo Casalino, Gloria Bassi,
Loris Errani, Luca Miani, Luigi Picone, Massimo Malpassi,
Ruggero Francesco Rau, Sito Aniello, Raffaele Bortone,
Daci Afrim, Stefano Marchetti.
Piombino Port - Infrastructural Works and
Emergency Safety Works Marco Angeloni, Nicola
Bona, Francesco D’Alò, Barbara Doronzo, Marco
Giovarruscio, Lucia Illuminati, Valentina Leoni,
Antonino Pulejo, Simone Ventura, Vincenzo Viola.
How is the safety and environmental service
structured and how did you liaise with the
central service?
Barbara At both work sites, the Service is managed
by the Site Manager and by the Production
Manager, with the assistance of the Prevention
and Protection Service Officer (Cmc). Liaising
with the central office is key and takes place
on a continuous basis: control over the activities
conducted at the work site through the sharing
of regulatory aspects, company know-how and
procedures is a necessary element
for the continuous improvement of results.
Gloria I am the safety and environmental
officer for both Production Units and, therefore,
I liaise with the two Production Managers and
the central Service, which has always been very
helpful, giving me all the support I needed for
this first successful experience in the field of safety.
07.1.a
07.1
07.1.b
work in progress
by Giorgio Clavarino
C926: works in the “Stadium”
shaft now completed
07.1.a-c Wonderful pictures
from our work site in Singapore.
Last 11 February was no ordinary day for
Cmc’s staff working in Singapore on the contract
awarded to them by the Land Transport Authority
(Lta) for the construction of lot “C926” of the
Downtown Line 3 underground link.
With the installation of the last ring by Tunnel
Boring Machine “Beatrix”, which has now reached
the border between our contract “C926” and
the adjoining one, mechanical excavation works
in the ‘Stadium shaft are now completed.
The story began many months ago with the
excavation of the launch shaft (30m in diameter
at a depth of approximately 37m), to then move
onto mechanical excavation works by tunnel boring
machines “Beatrix” and “Chloe” along the train’s
two directions, “Expo Bound” and “Bukit Panjang
Bound”, for a total of approximately 2,170m.
This goal was achieved after overcoming many
obstacles and unforeseen events, which we were
able to tackle brilliantly through a determined
dedicated effort.
Indeed, during all phases of work, we were faced
with numerous difficulties: organisational difficulties,
in terms of finding personnel that could meet the
stringent conditions imposed by the Singaporean
bureaucracy and having to deal with a consistent
turnover that threatened the stability and cohesion
of the staff.
Technical and contractual difficulties, relating
to the design and construction of the shaft, the
assembly and disassembly of the machines, their
alignment, the different strategies that were adopted
to increase their productivity, and the delicate passages
during which the tunnel boring machines were
travelling underneath important buildings (such
as banks and other commercial activities) or through
areas with complex geographical features.
The occasion was an important one and that
is why the staff in charge, in the presence of the project
management team and quality inspectors, decided
to celebrate the completion of the excavation works
in the “Stadium” by “Beatrix” with a small party,
attended by all the people who helped achieve this
goal and who were finally able to stop and observe
p.10 la Betoniera
the results of their coordinated team effort.
With the end of excavation works by “Beatrix”,
an important step was made towards the final
completion of project “C926”, which still involves
the completion of the excavation of the other shaft
(approx. 750 metres) by tunnel boring machines
“Hayley” and “Lizzi” over the next few months.
Once all mechanical excavation works are completed,
the tunnel boring machines will finally be able to rest
and eventually be assigned to different projects.
07.1.c
07.2
07.2.a
work in progress
The last diaphragm wall of Basci
has been broken through
07.2.a-c A snapshot of the last
diaphragm wall being broken
through in the tunnel.
At the end of February, excavation and lining
activities in the Basci tunnel were completed.
These works are part of the project for the
construction of the new route alternative to old
State Road SS 1 “Aurelia” – access road to the
Savona maritime hub, in the areas of Albissola
Superiore and Albissola Marina.
The project, entrusted by Anas to consortium Consorzio
07.2.c
Letimbro – of which Cmc is the lead enterprise – was
carried out using a Tbm having a 13.72 m diameter.
Excavation activities for this approximately 500m long
tunnel started in April 2014.
The construction of the new route alternative to State
Road 1 “Aurelia” between Albissola and Savona will
include the completion of three junctions, four natural
tunnels and three viaducts. So far 25% of the activities
has been completed.
07.2.b
Bad weather does
not slow down activities
in Piombino
10 months after the contract was awarded
to us, activities are proceeding at full speed:
works amounting to approximately € 54.000.000 –
i.e. 66.6% of those planned – have already been
completed. All the breakwaters enclosing the new
wharf in the harbour of Piombino have been built
and the dredging of 2,790,000m3 has been
completed using two Tshd (Hopper) and Csd
(Cutter) dredgers, 24 hours a day.
The construction of reinforced concrete structures
is also making good progress, in spite of the bad
weather and the heavy seas that recently hit
Piombino. Approximately 7 segments of the
supporting beam of the East quay have been
built, i.e. about 295 metres out of the total 400,
amounting to 5,900m3 of concrete plus 160,000 kg
of iron. The construction of the sheet pile capping
beam (approximately 23,000kg of iron and 150
square metres of formworks) and of the breakwater,
for which the iron for the first segment has already
been laid, has started too.
5 cell formworks (out of the 10 envisaged by the
contract) have also been completed, 3 of which,
already launched and filled, are used for the
extension of the Batteria wharf and 2 for the
extension of the northern breakwater.
p.11 la Betoniera
07.3
07.3.a
work in progress
by Luca Antonetti
The challenge won
at the T.E.E.M. work site
07.3.a A4 - T.E.E.M. junction
The preparation of the bypasses
before the construction of the
GA001 tunnel
07.3.b A4 - T.E.E.M. junction
The operating bypasses.
07.3.c A4 - T.E.E.M. junction
The A (northern) lot of the T.E.E.M. (Milan
Eastern External Bypass Road) mainly develops
in the trench. Works for this lot are going fast,
in line with both the deadline scheduled for
the completion of Stage 1, i.e. the opening
of the main road in time for the Expo (30 April
2015), and the February 2016 deadline for
the opening of all related infrastructures
and facilities to the benefit of the entire area.
Night view of the
operating bypasses.
07.3.d GA001 tunnel
Casting of the slab.
07.3.e GA001 - After slab
casting, laying of pre-stressed
reinforced concrete beams.
The northern stretch, lot A, which was awarded
to the cooperatives, is 6.150 km long and features
a series of critical aspects: from North to South,
the A4 junction tunnel; the tunnels running below
the Villoresi canal and the MM2 underground line;
and the Martesana tunnel, which runs below the
Martesana canal. From the very beginning, these
were the main issues to be solved. To date, they
have all been solved.
07.3.f GA001 tunnel
completed - The A4
highway re-opened
in its original location.
More specifically, the so-called GA001 tunnel, which
runs below the A4 highway, was a real challenge,
due to the bureaucratic difficulties with highway
operator Aspi (Autostrade per l’Italia), the limited
time available, and – above all – the presence of a very
hard polygenic conglomerate (strength comparable
to concrete having an Rck of 30/40 MPa) across the
entire tunnel, at approximately 8 metres from the A4
road level, having an average thickness above 10 m.
The execution stage of the project envisaged the
construction of a diaphragm wall (Milan method)
having a 1200 mm diameter.
Considering the experience gained along the
main line, a wall with 1200/1300mm piles, instead
of 1200mm diaphragms, was erected near the
road underpass, using machinery fitted with special
equipment, capable of “drilling through” the material
resistance. 2 drilling rigs by Bauer were used: a BG28
and a BG39, the latter sent directly from the German
plant. In order to drill through the polygenic
conglomerate, piles were completed in two stages.
During the first stage, piles having a 1300 mm
diameter were formed by inserting a core barrel
having a 1300mm diameter into the pebbly soil
and adjoining it to the extrados of the polygenic
conglomerate for a length of approximately 50/100cm.
During stage 2, a different core barrel was used,
having a 1200 mm diameter and fitted with special
“bits” to cut into and penetrate the hard rock,
so as to achieve the depth required by the project.
The torque ensured by Bauer’s equipment (nearly
40,000 ton/m) was crucial to overcome the friction
caused by the hard material and the break-up of the
rock as the equipment excavated into it.
The use of machines fitted with special tools
allowed to complete on average 6 piles per day,
with each machine operating on two shifts.
Overall, 204 piles were required to support the entire
tunnel (including the adit piles). The main difficulty
in the early stages was the that area where works had
to be carried out was not entirely available (we had
to build two external “bypasses”, opened at different
moments due to the traffic management constraints
imposed by Aspi), therefore the two machines could
operate in parallel only after two weeks.
07.3.b
On 5 July 2014 the entire area was finally made
available. On 20 July, after excavating the shape
of the tunnel at the ground level and creating
bypasses for the existing water pipelines (1200/1400
mm diameter pipes) to prevent any possible flooding
of the area, works finally commenced.
This activity was extremely critical and difficult
due to two main factors:
• the excavation to be made for the piles involved
an approximately 10-metre layer of highly cemented
soil (the so-called “polygenic conglomerate”
or “Ceppo”), with a very high resistance, ranging
between 300 and 400 Kg/sq cm (essentially,
an excellent concrete);
07.3.c
• the area could not be made entirely available from
the very beginning as a large sewer was running
across the construction site. For this reason, only
one machine at a time was able to operate during
the first two weeks.
Against this framework, the time available – which
would already have been very limited to complete
“traditional” piles – was far too short.
Indeed, the time required for excavation activities
using standard excavation equipment – as was
recorded during the performance of similar activities
in the nearby areas, characterised by the same type
of soil – allowed to forecast not more than 2 piles/day
for each excavator. Moreover, the initial availability
of only part of the area required that works be
started using one excavator only.
It looked like a “Mission Impossible”, and the general
work schedule did not allow for any flexibility.
07.3.d
During the first stage, preliminary activities were
performed: excavations at the ground level were
carried out and the edge beam was created, to make
sure that the piles would not be misaligned and/or
inappropriately inclined, thereby ensuring that works
could be successfully continued and completed,
including the final lining of the walls with Predalles
slabs. In the meantime, a bentonite system was
set up, to collect bentonite during gabion laying
and concrete casting. During work execution,
some of the equipment broke down and night shifts
had to be organised to make up for the time loss.
On 28 August the last pile required was completed.
In the meantime, pile cropping started (3 rows
of piles were completed, each including 50 piles,
plus the adit piles) in order to prepare the casting
of the upper edge beam needed to sustain the prestressed reinforced concrete beams, which were
laid in line with the schedule.
From 8 to 13 September all capping beams were
installed. On 23 September the concrete covering
slab was cast.
07.3.f
p.12 la Betoniera
The A4 highway was re-opened in its original location
in two different stages, over two weekends: first the
eastern lane, Venezia-bound, and, on the following
weekend, the western lane heading towards Milan.
At the end of the day, the schedule was met, and
on 18 December 2014 the ceremony for the fall
of the last diaphragm wall of the tunnel was held,
in the presence of engineers, experts and politicians.
07.3.e
07.4.a
07.4
07.4.b
07.4.c
07.4.d
work in progress
Excavation with the Tbm has
begun at the Shanxi work site
The Yellow River Diversion Project,
in the Chinese province of Shanxi,
was contracted to Cmc in 2013.
Once the Tbm assembly operations were
completed by supplier Seli, work began
at the end of February.
It will involve diverting the water from
the reservoir of the Tianqiao hydropower
station to 4 cities and 16 counties through
a 23.76km-long tunnel to be excavated
using a double-shield Tbm.
The interesting thing in this project is that
the first 3.8km will be excavated along an inclined
shaft, making it necessary to use special locomotives
and rolling stock fitted with a specially-designed
braking system.
07.5
07.5.a
work in progress
A construction project
with many “spectators”
07.4.a-d The stages
of assembly of the Tbm.
07.5.a-c The Turin
underground construction site.
A construction project with many “spectators”
Work has begun at a sustained pace for the
“Lingotto-Bengasi” leg of Line 1 on the Turin
underground, involving the construction
of two stations (“Italia ‘61 - Regione Piemonte”
and “Bengasi”), three ventilation shafts,
and one 1.9km-long tunnel to be excavated
entirely with a Tbm.
The Lingotto - Bengasi leg of Line 1 on the
Turin underground (Metropolitana di Torino)
is approximately 1.9km-long and begins at the
end of the Lingotto station, the end-of-line
of the previous Porta Nuova-Lingotto leg.
07.5.b
This leg comprises 2 stations (Italia 61 and Bengasi),
2 in-leg ventilation shafts (PB1 and PB2),
the end-of-leg shaft (Pbt), approximately 200m
after the Bengasi station, and a junction point,
located between the Lingotto station and the PB1
in-leg ventilation shaft.
The construction site involves a strictly urban
and highly man-made area and the contract
requires significant interfacing with other public
and private infrastructures, whether pre-existing,
under development or under construction.
07.5.c
The works have attracted a large audience,
who are keen to see the project completed.
p.13 la Betoniera
07.6
07.6.a
07.6.b
work in progress
by Claudio Cuccorese
The first pictures from
our Aga site in Algeria
07.6.a-b The opening of the
canteen at the base camp.
07.6.c The Algerian work site.
The project that started last June at the Aga
Construction site, in Algeria, is continuing.
The first buildings, to be used for maintenance
activities and to host Civil Protection and
Gendarmerie agents, are currently under
construction.
In the meantime, on Thursday 12 February the canteen
at the base camp in Constantine was officially opened.
This contract is related to an approximately
400-km highway leg and envisages the restoration
of 19 junctions and the construction of 34 service
07.7.a
07.6.c
/maintenance office buildings, 22 tollbooths,
and approximately 120 minor buildings, totalling
an overall usable area of about 90 thousand
square meters.
The contract also includes all the necessary
traffic management and safety systems, applying
state-of-the-art technologies: 60 radio stations,
25 weather stations, 45 traffic data collection
stations, 530 emergency telephones, variable
-message signs, and Cctv systems.
The contract currently amounts to € 286 million.
07.7
work in progress
Works are continuing at the
Johannesburg work site
07.7.b
07.7.a-b Pictures from the
work site in Johannesburg.
Intense mining activities were carried out
extensively over the years in the area around
Johannesburg. More specifically, in the by-now
disused mines in the Witwatersrand basin the
build-up of deep Acid Mine Drainage (Amd) may
potentially contaminate surface ground water,
resulting in dramatic environmental damage.
Against this scenario, Tcta (Trans Caledon
Tunnel Authority), upon request of South Africa’s
Department of Water Affairs Minister, has developed
and funded a short-term infrastructure project aimed
at containing the rise of Amd and keeping it below
the environmentally critical level.
This can be achieved thorough a system whereby
Amd is extracted and neutralised, and process
neutralised water and mud are then returned
to the environment.
In May 2014 the Cmc PG Mavundla Engineering
Eastern Basin Jv consortium was awarded the
contract amounting to over 956 million South
African Rand – approximately US$ 92 million.
In short, the project envisages the construction
of the surface pumping station operating in the mine
pits, including the pumps (3 overall, each capable
of lifting water from a depth of 330 m at a rate
of 400 l/s); the necessary process pipelines; the Amd
Hds treatment system (treating capacity: 106,000
m3/day), which, in turn, includes a pre-treatment
system using scale, ventilation and neutralization
reactors with calcium hydroxide, precipitation
of heavy metals and sulphate surplus; a treated water
return line (1 km), and a mud return line (30 km);
7 system control and management buildings
and the related urban infrastructures, including
access roads and sewers and drains.
Works in Angola
have finally restarted
A new contract
in Beirut
Works for the construction of the Soyo-Kifuma
highway in Angola have restarted.
Our cooperative has received a letter of award
of contract from the Council for Development
and Reconstruction of Beirut (Lebanon) for
the construction of approx. 24 km of tunnels
and the water supply system that will serve Beirut.
At the end of last November, Sace guaranteed
a € 164 million loan – structured by Bnp Paribas
Cib acting as Sole Structuring Bank and Agent
Bank – in favour of the Angolan Ministry
of Finance for the completion of the works
for the construction of the last leg of the LuandaSoyo (N’Zeto-Soyo) highway, awarded to Cmc.
The project, worth € 250 million, involves
the construction of 44.8 kilometres of dual
carriageway (out of a total of 500 kilometres)
for the highway that will link the capital
Luanda with Soyo, in the northern part
of the country, an area of primary importance
for its oil drilling industry.
p.14 la Betoniera
The contract is worth approximately € 165 million
and is partly funded by the World Bank.
The tunnels will be excavated using two
Tunnel Boring Machines (Tbm).
07.8
07.8.a
work in progress
by Salvatore Picone
Caltanissetta, excellence and
relations with the community
07.8.a Caltanissetta Bishop
visits the Empedocle 2
construction site.
07.8.b The model of the Tbm
operating in Caltanissetta.
The Tbm “Barbara” has already excavated almost
three kilometres. In the “Papazzo” tunnel, works
in the right tube are being completed. And, in the
city, Cmc is building the Giardino della legalità
(the Garden of Legality). The Bishop: “You are
a close-knit single entity that is conveying the
local community a strong message of growth”.
In Sicily the Tbm is working at full speed. Over the next
few weeks three kilometres will have been excavated.
Only one is left to complete the first tube of the long
Caltanissetta tunnel, an important project for the
widening of State Road Ss 640. On the “Agrigento –
Caltanissetta” state road, works are proceeding fast.
The ongoing activities can be clearly noticed along the
entire length of the second lot. The detours show that
works are being carried out to upgrade a road that
is crucial for the island’s road system as a whole.
The viaducts and tunnels under construction,
the junctions and the new routes are now clearly
showing citizens what Empedocle 2, the General
Contractor headed by Cmc is doing in this area.
The Cooperative’s engineers working in Sicily ensure
that the right tube of the “Papazzo” tunnel is going
to be completed before the summer (the lay-by
is currently being built, and waterproofing is being
completed), while the Tbm “Barbara” has already
excavated almost 3 km of the Caltanissetta tunnel.
Less than a year since the beginning of the excavation
of the first tunnel, great results are already being
achieved. Everyone in the town and province
of Caltanissetta has by now realized the importance
of the mechanical excavation method being applied.
The awareness that a tunnel in this part of Sicily
is being built applying internationally advanced
methods can be clearly perceived also in the speeches
and public statements made by many citizens,
professionals, and the institutions. To the point that,
recently, even the Bishop of Caltanissetta, Monsignor
Mario Russotto, defined these works as “an excellence
of our land”. Indeed. These were the words of the
Bishop, who strongly supports this project, which
has also included the construction of a small church
dedicated to Pope John Paul II. On 5 March the Bishop
celebrated Mass at the “Empedocle2” base camp.
“Keep working well – said Monsignor Russotto –,
driven by solidarity, kindness, and a sense of hospitality.
This is an example of excellence, of “things done well” –
he added -, and thanks to you all we will finally have
a new road, which is like a promise for the future
of this land. You are a close-knit single entity that
is conveying the local community a strong message
of growth. And even when problems arise, keep
working honestly and fairly and you will see that
the people will remain by your side”. These were
words that encouraged all the workers involved
in the activities on state road Ss 640.
07.8.b
“Being close to the local institutions is vital
to support the commitment we devote day after
day to the construction of the new Ss 640.” said
Mr Pierfrancesco Paglini, Empedocle’s project manager.
Something similar took place a few days ago,
when the first stone of the “Giardino della Legalità”
was laid, the urban park that Cmc is building in the
centre of Caltanissetta: during the ceremony, Mayor
Giovanni Ruvolo, spoke about the significant synergy
and cooperation between the City Council and the
company involved in this project: “This is a glaring
example – he said – of involvement and cooperation,
that gives back to the city an area that had so long
been abandoned”. This too is a project aiming
to establish and strengthen close relations with
the citizens, who are showing great interest in the
ongoing works, especially those for the construction
of the tunnel below the hill of St. Elia.
The excavation of this tunnel (the target of first four
km is about to be reached) has already been defined
as an Italian record, thanks to the Tbm, whose model
welcomes visitors at the General Contractor’s facilities.
Works for the
enlargement
of Esp have started
Preliminary works for the enlargement of the
Esp shopping centre in Ravenna have started.
The contract between Cmc and Igd envisages
the clearing out of explosive devices left over
from the war and the construction of vertical
geodrains and a sand and pebble relief having
a height ranging between 1.50 and 2.50 metres.
The project extends over a total area
of approximately 90,000 square metres
and includes the outline of the new building,
the carparks and the internal road system
Assembly of the Tbm to begin
at the Alto Maipo work site
At the work site for the construction of the hydropower complex some 50 km
out of Santiago (Chile), everything is ready to begin assembling
the Tbm that will carry out the excavation.
The project, ordered by Aes Gener, involves the construction of two hydropower
stations, for a total power of 531 Mw.
90% of the works will be carried out underground, including 46.5 km of tunnels.
Cmc’s share amounts to approximately € 67 million.
Excavation works have started
at the Saint Martin La Porte
construction site
On Tuesday 6 January excavation works started at our construction site
in Saint Martin La Porte (Savoy), where the winze exploration tunnel awarded
to the grouping Spie Batignolles Tpci (lead enterprise), Eiffage Tp, Cmc Ravenna,
Ghella Spa and Cogeis Spa in May 2014 is going to be built.
The contract signed on 14 May 2014 by Lyon Turin Ferroviaire Sas (LTF)
envisages the design and construction of an exploration tunnel, of which
approximately 9 km will be excavated using a Tbm and almost 3.5 km
using traditional methods. The exploration tunnel will coincide with the future
southern part of the Turin-Lyon high-speed railway line cross-border tunnel.
These works will also complete the exploration tunnels built between 2002
and 2010 through the winzes in La Paz, Saint-Martin-la-Porte, and Modane
for the French side of the project.
p.15 la Betoniera
08
08.a
over to the
protagonists
by Cristiana Bolognesi
No success without
your team!
08.a Andreuccio Zampiga today.
08.b.f The Porto Tolle
power station.
08.c Zampiga at the
After a few missed issues, our regular feature
“over to the protagonists” is back. We meet
a “young” pensioner, Andreuccio Zampiga,
who tells us about his years with Cmc and
the project that more than any other “marked”
his work experience.
Cesena plant in 1993.
08.d Shortly after
joining Cmc in 1973.
08.e At Porto Tolle
in September 1978.
When did you begin working at Cmc?
I began working at Cmc in 1972 and my first project
was the Imola-Bologna highway link, with building
surveyor Tanesini, building surveyor De Lorenzi,
and site manager Sirotti. In the following years, I was
involved in several other projects (the sewer system
for the public slaughterhouse in Bologna, the GenovaVoltri highway, the Lido Adriano development project,
the Docks facilities in Ravenna, and more), doing
different jobs, including bookkeeper, assistant
bookkeeper, assistant plotter, technical works supervisor.
Back then, it was normal practice to get young staff
to try different jobs in order to expand their experience.
In September 1976, when I had just been married
for one month, I was sent, together with building
surveyor Tanesini, to Porto Tolle, in the province
of Rovigo, where we had won a contract to build
one of the biggest (if not the biggest) power stations
in Europe. It was Cmc’s first experience in this field
and we ended up encountering quite a few difficulties
in several different areas.
What difficulties are you talking of?
First of all, back then power company Enel was
already working - to a large extent - to quality assurance
standards. And we certainly were not used to that:
regulated accesses, helmet on at all times, catalogued
vehicle fleet. In addition, Enel’s technicians checked
our work step by step, to the point that, for example,
once the formworks were completed we had to wait
for their permission before we could proceed with the
casting. When I first arrived at the site, we were building
the first engine room portion and there were almost
more Enel assistants that Cmc workers and technicians.
I remember well when building surveyor Vittorio Morigi
was called in to supervise the site and we switched from
mobile cranes to tower cranes, which gave great
impetus to the operations.
Tell me more about the construction site.
Located near the sea and the river Po, the site covered
a large area that had been fully and uniformly
perforated with thousands of poles. During the first
part of the works, 300 people worked at the site
for the civil engineering construction, comprising
two power station units (each unit included the engine
room, the boiler and the turbo alternators). It was
a difficult project both for the environmental conditions
and at a personal level. I remember the fog and the
wind or the relentless heat, in the midst of a barren
wasteland. There was nothing to do, and once the
work was done for the day, we played cards or table
tennis or attended many, endless meetings. Once
we went to the movies in Porto Tolle, but we left
at the end of the first half because it was so cold.
Many still remember the biggest “problem”
you encountered during that project. Do you
know what I am referring to?
The incident - which has become famous in the history
of our Cooperative – occurred in the Autumn of 1977.
I remember that the day after we were meant
to be casting the basement for the stack (the stack
was made by Mariani-Battisti): 40 metres in diameter
at a depth of 6/7metres. We had added a secondary
reinforcement to support the iron rebar. When we
began removing the reinforcement, the iron rebar which most likely had not been braced – rotated,
forming a sort of dome. And when this happened
there were 3 or 4 Enel land surveyors in there, who
were taking the last height measurements before
casting the next day. I don’t know how, but thankfully
no one got hurt. I was there a minute before and then,
suddenly, I saw people running disorderedly, so I went
back and realised what was happening. I nearly had
a shock! I got in the car as fast as I could and drove
to the site office but no one believed me. I remember
Mr Miccoli told me to stop it because I was always
pulling jokes.
What happened then? At that point, Enel had
pretty much decided that they were going to get rid
of us. But we didn’t give up. From that moment,
we began having site meetings every evening, with
the management, Mr Ravaioli in particular, who began
coming down several times a week from Ravenna,
so as to have a better grip on everything. We solved
the problem by opening up the reinforcement into
segments and lifting it up. We doubled our personnel,
getting the best carpenters and iron rebar fixers.
Huge efforts were made by all members to complete
the project and come out of that situation. The site
managers and team leaders literally lifted Cmc onto
their shoulders and we won that challenge thanks
to our ‘cooperative spirit’. There were lots of businesses
that were waiting only to see us fail. Then, slowly, Enel
began to regain trust in us.
08.b
08.c
08.d
So much so that in 1978 there was the call for
tenders for the 3rd and 4th lots and we won both.
Briefly, just to give you an idea of the construction
site as a whole, the power station consisted of an
engine room with four 620megawatt turbo alternators
and various service machinery; four boiler rooms which
supplied thermal energy to the turbo alternators
by burning diesel oil stored in huge tanks (an oil
pipeline between Porto Tolle and Ravenna-based
Sarom was built to supply the complex); plus several
buildings and depots and a 250m stack. It was a great
satisfaction for us to prove our detractors wrong,
which meant that in the following years we became
a key resource for Enel.
08.e
08.f
I left Porto Tolle when we started working on
the 3rd and 4th lots, but the experience I gained
in those 3 years was incredible, top level!
After that, I was in Cesena as prefabrication
production manager, site manager for the laying
of the second Russi-Ravenna railway track,
in Ethiopia to oversee a prefabrication facility, head
of the Veneto Area, at the Secante road work site
in Cesena, at the Mestre bypass, at the University
of Perugia and then at Ged, in Cesena again.
I finished my career in 2014 at Iter.
40 years spent travelling all over Italy for Cmc.
I remember the faces of those who were with
me on the various sites, not so much about life
at home. Your team becomes your family.
But I don’t regret anything!
p.16 la Betoniera
09.1.a
09.1
you and us
The third
Fazio Prize
This year too, the Department of Civil Engineering
and Architecture of the University of Catania,
with the support of Ravenna-based Cmc, presents
its National Degree Thesis Prize in memory
of Salvatore Fazio.
The € 2,000 prize will be awarded by the Department
of Civil Engineering and Architecture to the best thesis
on a geotechnical topic presented between 1 December
2013 and 31 December 2014.
09.2
As in previous editions, the prize winner will be
chosen by a panel headed by a geotechnics professor
appointed by the Department’s Head and consisting
of two geotechnics professors, one representing Cmc
and one chosen by the Fazio family.
you and us
“The Garden of Legality”
in Caltanissetta
09.1.a Group picture
at the Premio Fazio Awarding
Ceremony in 2014.
09.2.a-c Laying of the
first stone of the
“Giardino della legalità”.
Last 3 March the first stone of the Giardino
della Legalità (the Garden of Legality) was laid.
The construction of the garden, which will be
a symbolic location and an area for all
Caltanissetta citizens to enjoy, will be sponsored
by the consortium “Empedocle 2”, of which Cmc
is also a member.
Entrants are requested to submit their application
by 31/03/2015 using the form available
at www.ing.unict.it in the section “In evidenza”.
Last year, the prize was awarded to Pasqualino
Argetto (pictured with the four students who
received the honourable mention: Francesco Campione,
Alfio Patanè, Federica Taglietti and Andrea Trafiletti)
for his thesis titled “Microzonazione sismica della città
di Catania per i terremoti di scenario del 1693 e del
1818” (Seismic micro-zoning of the city of Catania
for the 1693 and 1818 scenario earthquakes) presented
at the University of Catania.
09.2.a
“This urban park – said Mayor Ruvolo – is the result
of the successful cooperation between the City Council,
the Neighbourhood Committee, and the enterprise
that is currently working on the widening of state road
640 – a glaring example of involvement and cooperation
that gives back to the city an area that had so long been
abandoned”. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor,
City Council executive members and councillors,
City Council engineers, and Italian MPs from this
area, such as Giancarlo Cancellieri, representing
the Movimento Cinque Stelle political movement.
The project is supervised by engineers Mario Liti
and Francesco Barra, in cooperation with Marilena
Bufalino and Domenico Mirabile.
09.2.b
p.17 la Betoniera
09.2.c
10
10.a
10.b
social activities
by Emanuele Bassetti
Oral tests and examinations
10.a Professor Emanuele
Bassetti.
10.b President Massimo
Matteucci.
10.c Group photo during the
awarding of the scholarships.
10. In the next page,
photographs from Cmc’s
The annual ceremony for the awarding
of scholarships to members’ and employees’
children who have excelled in their school
or university achievements was held at Cmc’s
training classroom on Sunday, 25 January.
As well as the introductory speech by President
Massimo Matteucci, the event included a lecture
by Emanuele Bassetti (sociologist and
communication expert at the University
of Bologna) on how to best tackle oral
examinations and tests at school and university.
Christmas and Epiphany
Concert.
The event was an opportunity to learn more
on how to control emotions and improve verbal
communication skills.
Regarded as one of the most testing social experiences
and a challenge for people of all ages, oral examinations
and tests are characterised by a high interference
of emotions, a prevalence of form over content and
a short answer time.
On the other hand, they can give great satisfaction,
allowing to best demonstrate the amount of study
put in, to illustrate answers thoroughly, as well
as to clarify any doubts about what we are trying
to say. Oral examinations and tests can be much more
effective than written ones, but they can also conceal
more difficulties. And this is the reason why they must
be tackled strategically.
First of all, it is essential that we learn as much
as possible about the person that will examine us.
All teachers share similar expectations, however, each
teacher will also place greater importance on certain
aspects that he or she regards as particularly critical
and these are the aspects on which we must focus more
in our study. It is also true that teachers bring their own
emotions into an examination, another fact that can
be used to our own advantage to obtain better marks.
Next, an effective management of fear will allow us
to avoid the typical multipliers of anxiety, like listening
to somebody else’s examination just before ours and
begin revising obsessively, as well as to best manage,
through specific techniques, the first part of the exam,
which is the most likely to generate a state of anxiety.
Other effective strategies used to beat one’s mind
include visualisation techniques, action rather than
reflection, positive thinking and listening to music.
The use of supplements and energy drinks, a very
10.c
p.18 la Betoniera
common practice among students, is to be avoided
as it can increase agitation, especially if one already
suffers from anxiety.
Considering that communication takes place also
through non verbal cues, we should keep in mind
that the success of an oral examination or test does
not only depend on what we say: speech tone, volume
and rhythm, gestures, facial expressions, posture, body
movements, clothing are all equally important.
A neutral look should be preferred, something not too
trendy and not too plain, in which we feel comfortable
and which allows the teacher to focus on what matters
rather than be distracted by our excesses.
We should be especially careful with tight-fitting
clothes, as, no matter how trendy they might look,
they can increase perspiration and reduce comfort,
particularly during the long waits that go with
university exam sessions. Last but not least, all the
standard practical advice still applies, including to always
prepare at least one topic of choice, to attempt to steer
the conversation towards our strongest areas of
knowledge, to never give short answers, to think aloud
when unsure about the answer, and to mention any
personal familiarity with the subject (from books, films,
magazine or newspaper features, personal experiences).
These are strategies that, if combined with the ones
suggested above, will allow to effectively handle
not only oral examinations, but all types of interviews,
such as the ones that we have to undergo as adults
looking for a job.
The event ended with the awarding of the scholarships
by President Massimo Matteucci, with the support
of Federica Fusconi, to 56 youngsters, for a total
of € 17,250, promoting academic merit and dedicated
studying.
Discount schemes
Dental Center
Cmc’s members and employees can benefit
from a 15% discount on all services. Dental
Center has two surgeries:
Marina di Ravenna tel. +39 0544 530777
Sant’Alberto tel. +39 0544 532190
Information: ph. +39 338 3692958.
Poliambulatorio Santa Teresa
Medical Centre
Cmc has renewed its agreement with medical
centre Poliambulatorio Santa Teresa in via
Don Angelo Lolli, 20 (formerly via Nino Bixio, 20).
Showing Cmc’s red card or badge, patients
will be granted:
• a 10% discount on all lab tests;
• a10% discount on visits with freelance
specialists taking part in the agreement, with
the exception of specialists working as private
physicians in public health facilities, pursuant
to the applicable Local Health Units regulations;
• a 5% discount on physical therapy services;
• a 10% discount on dental services.
Circuito Amaparco
The agreement between Cmc and the Amaparco
di Atlantide centres and museums will continue
in 2015. Cmc’s members and employees will
be entitled to the following special conditions:
• concessions for Cmc card holders +1 person.
The following facilities are taking part in the
2015 agreement (for more information please
visit www.amaparco.net):
• Province of Ferrara: Museo del Territorio
in Ostellato, Anse Vallive di Porto Bacino
di Bando, Delizia Estense del Verginese.
• Province of Ravenna: Museo NatuRa
in Sant’Alberto, Centro Visite Salina in Cervia,
Centro Visite Cubo Magico Bevanella in Savio,
CerviAvventura in Milano Marittima, Casa
delle Farfalle & Co. in Milano Marittima,
Rocca di Riolo Terme.
• Province of Forlì-Cesena: Idro Ecomuseo
delle Acque in Ridracoli.
In all facilities children under 1 metre in height
are admitted free, concessions for children above
1 metre in height and below the age of 12.
p.19 la Betoniera