PSI - Issue 84

Marco Bisti et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 84 (2026) 733–740

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4. The construction site as an emblematic case of managerial discontinuity Within the structured environment of a motorway network, the introduction of a construction site represents the most significant and recurring example of managerial and operational discontinuity. The Italian motorway network presents peculiar characteristics, marked by a significantly older average age of infrastructures (with roughly 85% of the network realized by the late 1970s) and an elevated density of viaducts, bridges, and tunnels compared to other European contexts. These factors have necessitated the early and extensive execution of maintenance and requalification interventions to preserve the network's efficiency and safety. Adding to this complexity is the intense vehicular traffic, with the Italian network being among the most heavily used, making the impact of construction sites on both road safety and traffic flow a strategic concern for planning and management (see Fig.2). Although construction activities are planned, they fundamentally alter the established road environment, introducing an array of complex, dynamic, and transient hazards that routine Safety Management Systems (SMSs) are often ill-equipped to handle effectively. A construction site disrupts traffic flows, geometric configurations, and regulatory signage; it introduces temporary interfaces between road users and heavy machinery; and it requires the coordination of multiple external and internal contractors—all factors that increase complexity exponentially. This discontinuity challenges the stability of standard safety procedures and demands a high level of adaptive capacity and organizational resilience from the Infrastructure Manager (IM). Consequently, the construction site environment is the definitive testbed for the maturity of an SMS, requiring the application of rigorous Change Management protocols (MOC) and necessitating a rapid shift from static, retrospective safety control to dynamic, predictive governance. The adoption of an advanced SMS in motorway construction sites is not merely a matter of regulatory compliance but represents a strategic investment in collective safety, aligning fully with European strategic objectives like Vision Zero 2050 and supporting the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure system. This evolution requires the SMS to overcome fragmented or purely reactive logics, using tools like the ANSFISA SGS-ISA model to monitor, evaluate, and constantly reinforce safety measures through a vision that integrates strategic choices, management, and granular operational control (Porretto et al., 2025). 5. Application of GapAnalysis to construction site management Gap analysis is a particularly effective methodology for assessing motorway construction site management, a context characterized by high operational complexity and temporary risks. It shifts the focus from formal compliance to the evaluation of actual safety performance, identifying gaps between current practices and desired safety and efficiency standards. By benchmarking the Infrastructure Manager and contractors against high-level frameworks such as the ANSFISA SGS-ISA maturity model, the analysis highlights critical weaknesses in change management, risk assessment, communication, and near-miss reporting. Specifically, Part 6 of the SGS-ISA framework can be selected as the reference basis for conducting the gap analysis. Within this part, Section 4.2 can be identified as the most appropriate component for evaluating change management processes, supplemented where necessary by other relevant provisions of Part 6. Beyond identifying deficiencies, gap analysis provides a data driven basis for targeted, measurable improvement actions, enabling a structured transition from reactive safety management toward a more predictive and resilient governance model. Once safety maturity gaps are identified, targeted improvement measures are implemented to systematically close them in line with the organization’s assessed needs, thereby progressively advancing the Safety Management System toward higher maturity levels. The prioritization of gaps to be addressed is determined by the target maturity level, the organization’s objectives, and the available financial resources. While regulatory compliance remains the baseline, investing in continuous SMS improvement delivers broader benefits, including enhanced road safety, traffic fluidity, and user experience. Improvement actions span strategic, operational, and human-factor dimensions, such as revising change management protocols, introducing leading safety KPIs (e.g., near-miss reporting), optimizing construction site processes, and strengthening safety culture through fatigue management and decision support tools. Integrated within the PDCA cycle, these measures transform diagnostic insights into concrete actions, enabling a resilient, predictive, and continuously improving safety governance model.