An idea as bright as glass has led to a new spin-off enterprise from the University of Pisa which will make its debut at the Glastec Trade Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany from 21st to 24th October. The name of the enterprise is TVT Srl and its headquarters are in Collesalvetti (Livorno). This company, whose aim is to research and develop innovative solutions for the world of architecture and civil engineering, originates from the patent for Travi Vitree Tensegrity (TVT) developed at the University of Pisa from research carried out by Professor Maurizio Froli.
"The Travi Vitree Tensegrity," explains Maurizio Froli from the Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering," are the engineers' answer to the ever increasing demand for an optimal dematerialization of buildings in contemporary architecture. This is a building product of prestressed structural glass and steel, at this moment unique at international level in the high tech sector, which opens up the possibilities of constructing wide-span glass structures with a high load-bearing capacity even in seismic zones and at the same time guaranteeing the same safety standards found at present with traditional building materials."
Members of TVT Srl led by the president Vito Vitarelli are: Vitarelli Vito spa of Collesalvetti, one of Italy's foremost companies in glass distribution; Rober Glass srl of Calci, a leading glass works which can boast among its creations the Inverted Pyramid found at the Louvres; Iron Art of Fucecchio, one of Tuscany's top companies in the world in metal carpentry; the University of Pisa with Professor Maurizio Froli and the INTRE engineering practice of Lucca.
The aim of the founders, who foresee a notable investment over the five-year period 2014-2019, is to promote Made in Italy and to encourage research in the field of Italian structural engineering in the light of the numerous accolades received over a few years by the construction technology of the TVT. In 2009 Professor Froli and his Travi Vitree Tensegrity came first in the Research sector of the Premio Vespucci competition organized by the Region of Tuscany. In 2010 the glass beams were included in the almanac of excellence "Winning Italy" drawn up by the Foreign Office and in 2012 they were placed among the 100 most important innovations of Made in Italy.