The method for the management of existing infrastructure introduced by the Guidelines for the classification and management of risk, safety assessment and monitoring of existing bridges and subsequent Operating Instructions, as well as the similar approach introduced for existing tunnels, has brought new awareness with respect to the Italian infrastructure heritage, allowing:
• to develop widespread knowledge of all the works and their state of conservation;
• to develop management choices based on risk, not only on safety, and not limiting them to the structure alone but extending them to what happens to the structure in the surrounding territory;
• to develop in-depth knowledge of the works characterized by higher risk classes;
• to initiate a more conscious use of instrumental monitoring to identify possible critical issues and control the works;
• to analyze the risks in an infrastructural network vision so as to develop suitable procedures for prioritizing assessment and intervention activities;
all of this rationalized and organized according to a common, homogeneous approach at national level.
Scientific, technical-scientific and technological research therefore has a unique opportunity for the analysis and study of the problems that affect our infrastructures such as those resulting from the evolutionary phenomena of structural degradation/damage and interfering anthropic, natural and environmental actions, and therefore for the development of tools, techniques, technologies, methodologies, artificial intelligence algorithms at the service of better and more efficient management of the works.
All this thanks to the constant dialogue that has been established between researchers, managers, professional technicians and institutions that, each for their own competence, is contributing to the cultural and competitive growth of the entire sector, at a national and international level.
The III Fabre 2026 Conference on Existing Bridges, Viaducts, and Tunnels: Research, Innovation, and Applications, which will take place from 16 to 19 February 2026 at the Auditorium della Tecnica in Rome, will therefore allow a useful comparison between recent experiences both at national and international level, organizing moments of comparison and discussion with the major experts in the sector, not only in the scientific but also technical, technological, managerial and institutional fields.
Click here to download the preliminary program of the event.
