D’Appolonia, the engineering consulting company of Italy’s RINA Group, has acquired Milan-based civil engineering consultancy SC Sembenelli Consulting in a move that brings expertise in major civil engineering projects with particular experience in dams and hydropower, civil and hydraulic infrastructures.

"Sembenelli brings us a strong brand name and key technical skills which complement our geo-technical and earthworks expertise," commented Roberto Carpaneto, CEO, D’Appolonia. "They widen our ability to support major projects such as port and dam construction and development. Sembenelli also fits well with our environmental focus as they are involved in major sustainable regional developments around the world."

Founded in 1983 Sembenelli has been involved in over 250 projects in 40 countries. The compan designed the temporary works and the excavations for the Panama Canal Third Set of Locks Project, designed part of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China and has performed geo-technical studies for the Riyadh Metro. In Italy it designed four major dams for the River Po which could produce a significant part of the national power output and worked on major motorway projects. It is currently developing part of the detailed design of the Brenner Basis Tunnel.

"In addition to the civil engineering capability Sembenelli gives us the opportunity to consolidate our presence in growing markets such as Africa where it has worked on hydro-electric plants in Rwanda and major dams in Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt for example," added Carpaneto.