Data-Driven Approaches for Optimizing Concrete Bridge Maintenance in Compliance with Italian Bridge Management Guidelines

This work discusses a management strategy based on comprehensive data analysis to inspect information related to structural defects across large-scale bridge databases, aiming to achieve data-informed life-cycle management of existing concrete structures. The main steps towards this goal include developing robust tools for data collection and identifying key correlations between structural typologies and defect occurrences, to offers critical insights to infrastructure owners. Strategic insights are also gathered by examining the relationship between the defining characteristics of structures and the severity of structural defects. The main goal of these steps is to enhance maintenance, prioritize inspections, and optimize resource allocation. Indeed, this work shows how such data-driven analyses enables the implementation of optimization algorithms to plan interventions, maximizing lifespan and reducing costs through proactive maintenance. The novelty of this study lies in its implementation within the Italian regulatory framework, leveraging real-world data collected under national bridge management guidelines.