PSI - Issue 84

Vittorio Palma et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 84 (2026) 630–637

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can be systematically evaluated.

7. Conclusion The management of existing bridges at the network level requires decision-support tools capable of transforming inspection and classification information, often heterogeneous and incomplete, into operational priorities consistent with safety requirements, functional performance, and resource availability. In this context, the central issue is not limited to the assessment of individual assets but concerns the programming of investigation and intervention activities according to transparent and replicable criteria, applicable at a large scale. This work has addressed this need by proposing a formalization of prioritization methodologies for the programming of special inspections, safety assessments (Level 4), and local interventions aimed at restoring or improving durability. The methodologies, developed within operational applications and consistent with the framework of the national Guidelines , are based on rule-based decision criteria and predominantly ordinal variables, organized into discrete priority classes and within-class rankings. The contribution of the work lies in the explicit structuring of the decision-making process, which enables the transition from technical information to network-level programming to be traceable and reproducible. The adoption of non-compensative criteria with respect to the guiding parameters preserves the precautionary logic inherent to the management of existing infrastructure, avoiding counter-intuitive rankings while maintaining the ability to discriminate among assets belonging to the same main priority class. Overall, the proposed framework can be regarded as a support tool for preliminary programming, particularly suited to contexts characterized by extensive infrastructure stocks and progressively evolving levels of information. It provides a structured basis for directing resources toward those assets for which further knowledge acquisition and analytical assessment are most justified, while maintaining consistency with the multi-level pathway defined by the Guidelines . Future developments may include the calibration of criteria and operational thresholds with respect to specific network contexts, as well as the progressive integration of quantitative indicators, such as measures of structural reliability or functional impact on the transport network, within subsequent phases of the decision-making process. 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Caprili, Walter Salvatore, A. Lupoi, e A. Ficociello. 2023. «A multi-phase survey approach for post-tensioned prestressed concrete bridge decks». In Life-Cycle of Structures and Infrastructure Systems . CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003323020-487. Mazzatura, Isabella, A. Natali, Walter Salvatore, L. Principi, M. Morici, e A. Dall’Asta. 2023. «A methodological proposal for the analysis of bridges inspections data according to the Italian Guidelines». ce/papers 6 (5): 1399–404. https://doi.org/10.1002/cepa.2102. Mazzatura, Isabella, Walter Salvatore, S. Caprili, S. Celati, M. Mori, e M. Gammino. 2023. «Damage detection, localization, and quantification for steel cables of post-tensioned bridge decks». Structures 57: 105314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.105314. Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT). 2020. Linee Guida per la classificazione e gestione del rischio, la valutazione della sicurezza ed il monitoraggio dei ponti esistenti . 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