PSI - Issue 84

E. Renzi et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 84 (2026) 1361–1368 E. Renzi et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 E. Renzi et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000

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Abstract The adoption of Ministerial Decree 204/2022 initiated the implementation of the procedures established by the Italian Bridge Guidelines throughout Italy. Based on a proposal by ANSFISA with the contribution of the FABRE Consortium, this was followed by the adoption of the “Operating Instructions for the application of the Guidelines for the Classification and Management of Risk, Safety Assessment, and Monitoring of Existing Bridges” (CSLLPP D.P. No. 326/2022), hereinafter referred to as OI, aimed at supporting the application by all managing operators while providing clarity and interpretative uniformity. The extensive field experience, the feedback from operators gathered during ANSFISA's supervision and inspection activities, together with the studies and research carried out in collaboration with FABRE, have highlighted the need for further clarification and guidance for an increasingly effective and consistent application of the Guidelines throughout the territory. Therefore, capitalising on the experience gained and addressing the needs that have emerged during these years of guideline application (Salvatore et al., 2024, 2026), and considering that the application requirements now extend to all managing authorities other than Anas S.p.A. and motorway concessionaires, ANSFISA, supported by the FABRE Consortium, has developed a document that integrates the OIs into the various risk areas covered by the Guidelines. The proposals can be divided into four types: integration of tables contained in the Annexes; references to established practices and circumstances; clarifications aimed at achieving a higher level of homogeneity in the assessment; references in the absence of specific regulatory indications. This paper presents and discusses the indications related to structural-foundation, seismic, hydraulic, landslide risks; the methodologies for assessing defects, exposure, hazards and vulnerabilityand for performing risk classification, surveillance and monitoring (also providing guidance on special inspections). © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Conference Keywords: Italian Bridge Guidelines; Operating Instructions; Structural-Foundation Risk; Seismic Risk; Hydraulic Risk; Landslide Risk. 1. Introduction With the Decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility No. 204 of 1 July 2022 (MIMS, 2022), the “Italian Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, the assessment of safety and the monitoring of existing bridges” (IG) have been adopted in Italy to be applied to bridges, viaducts, overpasses and similar existing structures along road infrastructure managed by ANAS S.p.A., motorway concessionaires and all road managers, particularly Local Authorities. These guidelines have introduced a structured, multi-level approach that, starting from the inventory, addresses aspects related to safety checks and inspections, defect detection and criteria for the multi level assessment of risk for bridges, in order to make the risk management and maintenance programming approach of the different operators increasingly homogeneous and effective. The Ministry Decree, moreover, established that: “By Decree of the President of the Superior Council of Public Works (CSLLPP), upon proposal by ANSFISA (National Agency for the Safety of Railways and of Road and Motorway Infrastructures), within 30 days from the date of issuance of this decree, the “ Operating Instructions for the application of the Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, the safety assessment and the monitoring of existing bridges ” shall be adopted for general application by all managers of existing bridges, including Anas S.p.A. and motorway concessionaires” (§3-Article 1). Accordingly, by Decree no. 326 of 21 September 2022, the President of the Superior Council of Public Works (CSLLPP, 2022) adopted the document containing the integration of the IG with a set of Operating Instructions - OI. These Operational Instructions aimed to provide operators with clarifications and practical guidance about IG. The experience gained by ANSFISA during its supervisory activities—both towards motorway and national managers and Local Authorities—as well as the studies, research, and testing activities conducted in collaboration with FABRE Consortium, highlighted the persistence of an application context characterized by some margins of discretion. In this context, it was deemed appropriate to proceed with the proposal to update Operational Instructions issued in 2022, and the document, elaborated by ANSFISA in cooperation with FABRE, was then discussed and adopted by the Higher Council of Public Works with the Decree no. 413 of November 5, 2025 (CSLLPP, 2025). This update, while not introducing new substantive obligations, aims to provide further clarity and uniformity in interpretation, reduce areas of uncertainty, standardize the approach and facilitate control and certification activities. Abstract The adoption of Ministerial Decree 204/2022 initiated the implementation of the procedures established by the Italian Bridge Guidelines throughout Italy. Based on a proposal by ANSFISA with the contribution of the FABRE Consortium, this was followed by the adoption of the “Operating Instructions for the application of the Guidelines for the Classification and Management of Risk, Safety Assessment, and Monitoring of Existing Bridges” (CSLLPP D.P. No. 326/2022), hereinafter referred to as OI, aimed at supporting the application by all managing operators while providing clarity and interpretative uniformity. The extensive field experience, the feedback from operators gathered during ANSFISA's supervision and inspection activities, together with the studies and research carried out in collaboration with FABRE, have highlighted the need for further clarification and guidance for an increasingly effective and consistent application of the Guidelines throughout the territory. Therefore, capitalising on the experience gained and addressing the needs that have emerged during these years of guideline application (Salvatore et al., 2024, 2026), and considering that the application requirements now extend to all managing authorities other than Anas S.p.A. and motorway concessionaires, ANSFISA, supported by the FABRE Consortium, has developed a document that integrates the OIs into the various risk areas covered by the Guidelines. The proposals can be divided into four types: integration of tables contained in the Annexes; references to established practices and circumstances; clarifications aimed at achieving a higher level of homogeneity in the assessment; references in the absence of specific regulatory indications. This paper presents and discusses the indications related to structural-foundation, seismic, hydraulic, landslide risks; the methodologies for assessing defects, exposure, hazards and vulnerabilityand for performing risk classification, surveillance and monitoring (also providing guidance on special inspections). © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Conference Keywords: Italian Bridge Guidelines; Operating Instructions; Structural-Foundation Risk; Seismic Risk; Hydraulic Risk; Landslide Risk. 1. Introduction With the Decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility No. 204 of 1 July 2022 (MIMS, 2022), the “Italian Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, the assessment of safety and the monitoring of existing bridges” (IG) have been adopted in Italy to be applied to bridges, viaducts, overpasses and similar existing structures along road infrastructure managed by ANAS S.p.A., motorway concessionaires and all road managers, particularly Local Authorities. These guidelines have introduced a structured, multi-level approach that, starting from the inventory, addresses aspects related to safety checks and inspections, defect detection and criteria for the multi level assessment of risk for bridges, in order to make the risk management and maintenance programming approach of the different operators increasingly homogeneous and effective. The Ministry Decree, moreover, established that: “By Decree of the President of the Superior Council of Public Works (CSLLPP), upon proposal by ANSFISA (National Agency for the Safety of Railways and of Road and Motorway Infrastructures), within 30 days from the date of issuance of this decree, the “ Operating Instructions for the application of the Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, the safety assessment and the monitoring of existing bridges ” shall be adopted for general application by all managers of existing bridges, including Anas S.p.A. and motorway concessionaires” (§3-Article 1). Accordingly, by Decree no. 326 of 21 September 2022, the President of the Superior Council of Public Works (CSLLPP, 2022) adopted the document containing the integration of the IG with a set of Operating Instructions - OI. These Operational Instructions aimed to provide operators with clarifications and practical guidance about IG. The experience gained by ANSFISA during its supervisory activities—both towards motorway and national managers and Local Authorities—as well as the studies, research, and testing activities conducted in collaboration with FABRE Consortium, highlighted the persistence of an application context characterized by some margins of discretion. In this context, it was deemed appropriate to proceed with the proposal to update Operational Instructions issued in 2022, and the document, elaborated by ANSFISA in cooperation with FABRE, was then discussed and adopted by the Higher Council of Public Works with the Decree no. 413 of November 5, 2025 (CSLLPP, 2025). This update, while not introducing new substantive obligations, aims to provide further clarity and uniformity in interpretation, reduce areas of uncertainty, standardize the approach and facilitate control and certification activities.