Giovanni Battista Piatti
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Battista Piatti (Milan
, February 10, 1812 - Milan, September 4, 1867) was an Italian civil engineer
.
Civil engineer from Milan, inventor of the pneumatic rock-drilling machine that, with small modifications, was used in the Mont Cenis Tunnel
. On the February 12, 1853 he conceived how to face the excavation work, being based on the application of the compressed air, and published: Proposal for the railroad between Susa and Modane of a new system of propulsion with air compressed hydraulic motors (system experimented in England) and first draft of plan for excavation of the Alps.
He was disowned while still alive, since the invention was patented by Germain Sommeiller
, but its work was recognized, especially by the architect Luca Beltrami
and thanks to the admirers who constructed a monument dedicated to him in Milan, at Largo La Foppa, remembering that: «in February 1853 he was the first to propose for the Mont Cenis Tunnel original and practical applications of compressed air, [thus] distinguishing himself in that demanding enterprise».
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, February 10, 1812 - Milan, September 4, 1867) was an Italian civil engineer
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
.
Civil engineer from Milan, inventor of the pneumatic rock-drilling machine that, with small modifications, was used in the Mont Cenis Tunnel
Fréjus Rail Tunnel
The Fréjus Rail Tunnel is a rail tunnel of length in the European Alps, carrying the Turin–Modane railway through Mount Cenis to an end on connection with the Culoz–Modane railway and linking Modane, France and Bardonecchia, Italy...
. On the February 12, 1853 he conceived how to face the excavation work, being based on the application of the compressed air, and published: Proposal for the railroad between Susa and Modane of a new system of propulsion with air compressed hydraulic motors (system experimented in England) and first draft of plan for excavation of the Alps.
He was disowned while still alive, since the invention was patented by Germain Sommeiller
Germain Sommeiller
Germain Sommeiller was a civil engineer from Savoy. He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through...
, but its work was recognized, especially by the architect Luca Beltrami
Luca Beltrami
Luca Beltrami was an Italian architect and architectural historian, known particularly for restoration projects. He was a student of Camillo Boito at the Brera Academy...
and thanks to the admirers who constructed a monument dedicated to him in Milan, at Largo La Foppa, remembering that: «in February 1853 he was the first to propose for the Mont Cenis Tunnel original and practical applications of compressed air, [thus] distinguishing himself in that demanding enterprise».