DATA, DIGITAL, BIM | ROAD TUNNEL REHABILITATION
DIGITAL WORKFLOW BOOSTS ITALIAN HIGHWAY REHAB
A wide-ranging programme is underway to rehabilitate many of Italy’s older motorway tunnels with digital workflows. Developed by Tecne Systra for ASPI, and using Bentley software, the new approach has brought efficiency benefits to support asset management.
The rehabilitation programme on external linings of Italian motorway tunnels is gaining a significant planning boost from new digital workflow systems developed for Gruppo Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI). ASPI’s programme is focused on tunnels that show
signs of structural decay in the outer linings after decades of operation. The digital workflow boost is being managed by Tecne Systra-Sws Advanced Tunnelling Srl, or Tecne Systra – formed from the merger between ASPI’s Tecne and Systra-SWS. The company has a focus on developing intervention projects to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the ageing motorway tunnel assets. The rehabilitation initiative addresses tunnels
constructed between the 1960s and 1970s that now require structural renewal and reinforcement in compliance with national guidelines for tunnel risk management and classification. “The rehabilitation works reduce or eliminate risks
of possible hazards due to structural decay and ensure suitable performance in case of seismic events,” says Ana Emiliano dos Reis, manager for Building Information Modelling (BIM) at Tecne Systra. For the initiative, Tecne Systra implemented
digital workflows to support both the assessment of improvement needs in the tunnels as well as
Right: Refurbishment
programme for Italian motorway tunnels boosted by new digital workflow Images courtesy of Bentley Systems
rehabilitation works. The approach has been delivering improved design efficiency and giving the basis for long- term asset management. The strategy for greater use of digital workflows
reflects a wider shift to data-driven design processes and coordinated information management across project stages within such a large investment programme. The interventions aim to extend asset lifetime by
building new, structurally autonomous linings, or reinforcing existing structures. A multidisciplinary team working with the enhanced
digital workflow comprises civil, geotechnical, road, hydraulic engineers, and geologists – alongside the digital systems specialists.
COMPLEXITY ACROSS DISCIPLINES The rehabilitation programme encompasses investigative surveys evaluating existing tunnel conditions whilst providing design, demolition, and reconstruction recommendations. Extending tunnel lining lifecycle requires
comprehensive intervention works, ranging from soil consolidation and partial demolition of tunnel lining to steel mesh and cast-in-place concrete reinforcement alongside waterproofing and drainage installations.
34 | April 2026
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