PSI - Issue 78

Antonio Cefalì et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 1350–1357

1355

• Definitive monitoring:Definition of thresholds,and planning and establishment of risk and emergency management. 7. Continuous monitoring, thresholds, and early warning systems Continuous monitoring is fundamental to modern geotechnical risk management, especially for infrastructure in seismically active and hydrogeologically vulnerable regions. It involves uninterrupted data acquisition from sensors for real-time condition assessment and timely detection of anomalies or failure precursors, offering a dynamic understanding of structural and ground behavior. Unlike periodic measurements, this allows for tracking parameter evolution, identifying trends, and detecting deviations, crucial for structures under dynamic loads and environmental influences. Continuous data streams enable advanced analysis, including statistical methods, machine learning, and numerical modeling, for interpreting complex patterns and predicting future behavior. The effectiveness of continuous monitoring relies on establishing appropriate thresholds and implementing Early Warning Systems (EWS). Thresholds are predefined limits (alert, warning, critical) indicating increasing risk, defined during system design and adjusted based on observed data. EWS use continuous data and these thresholds to provide timely alerts for proactive risk mitigation. An effective EWS includes robust sensing and data acquisition, data transmission and processing, analysis, automatic threshold comparison and alert generation, rapid alert dissemination, and clear response protocols. The Italian Civil Protection System's directive on hydrogeological and hydraulic risk management highlights the importance of such integrated alert systems (SNPA, 2021). Effective EWS significantly reduce risks from seismic events and hydrogeological instabilities by providing lead time for emergency management, minimizing damage, casualties, and disruptions, thereby enhancing overall infrastructure resilience. 8. Management of traffic limitations and operational changes following monitoring system alarms When geotechnical monitoring systems for road infrastructure trigger an alarm, quick and appropriate action is crucial for risk mitigation and emergency preparedness, aiming to ensure public safety and minimize disruption. The process begins with alarm verification by qualified personnel, who immediately review automated alerts, cross reference data, conduct visual inspections, or deploy field teams to confirm the alarm's validity and severity.Once a significant alert is confirmed, the primary goal is to protect users and infrastructure. This often leads to decisions about traffic management, ranging from speed restrictions for minor issues to lane closures, traffic diversions, or even full road closures in critical situations, often coordinated with civil protection and law enforcement.Beyond traffic limitations, changes in operational configuration may also be necessary, such as increasing surveillance, implementing immediate temporary support measures, activating pre-established emergency response plans, and communicating clear, timely information to the public. The effectiveness of these responses depends on several factors: clear, regularly updated pre-defined protocols for different alarm scenarios; the ability of infrastructure managers to make rapid, informed decisions based on real-time data and expert assessment; seamless inter-agency coordination (as emphasized by systems like Italy's Civil Protection); and regular training and drills for all personnel involved.Ultimately, managing traffic limitations and operational changes after monitoring system alarms is a dynamic process that balances public safety with maintaining transportation network functionality, requiring a robust monitoring system, intelligent data interpretation, and a well-drilled emergency response framework, aligning with guidelines on safety management systems. (De Bartolomeo et al., 2023). 9. Necessity of greater network resilience to cope with seismic events Global seismic activity and aging infrastructure increasingly underscore the critical need for enhanced road network resilience. This resilience signifies a system's capacity to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and recover from disruptions like earthquakes with minimal functional loss (Iliopoulou et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2021). Past events, such as the Polcevera Viaduct collapse, highlight how critical infrastructure failures can cause widespread economic and social disruption. Achieving greater resilience demands a multifaceted, lifecycle-spanning approach. This includes proactive risk assessment, enhanced design and construction standards, and continuous geotechnical monitoring with early warning systems for real-time data and preemptive actions. Network redundancy ensures essential connectivity, while