Categorisation of building data in the digital documentation of heritage buildings

Abstract

The documentation of heritage buildings is the preliminary action to deal with any problem related to the built heritage. The procedure of documentation requires a very diverse range of data (quantitative and qualitative) to be obtained and investigated in order to produce an accurate digital representation of the building. This type of work of data capture and interpretation is often conducted in isolation by different stakeholders and for a range of purposes, leading to a lack of communication between different data types, repeated effort and incomplete documentation. Heritage Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) is set to play a key role in the digital documentation of heritage buildings, as it can combine quantitative and qualitative data and facilitate the integration of different stakeholders and specialised data into the digital management of the different phases of dealing with heritage buildings. This paper aims to review the multitude of data types that could be included in the documentation and investigation process of the built heritage, in order to assess the breadth and depth by which heritage buildings can be documented. Four main categories that span the whole documentation data areas are being suggested which vary from outer geometry surveys, to subsurface materials and structural integrity investigations, to data concerning the building performance, as well as the historic records concerning the building’s morphology over time, which can help to create a more in-depth knowledge about the heritage building’s status and performance and can create a solid base for any required restoration and retrofitting processes (Khalil and Stravoravdis 2019a).

Analysis of BIM Methodology Applied to Practical Cases in the Preservation of Heritage Buildings

“…As HBIM practical cases show, the initial study of the historical contextualization of the building, the study of materials and analysis of construction processes are important. The importance of the methodology of information collection, standardization, construction techniques, the use of scanners, virtual reality and photogrammetry is reported in our study and has already been reported in previous reviews up to 2019 [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] and 2020 [39]. Studies focusing on linked open data (LOD) [40], digital documentation of heritage buildings [37] and performance assessment in HBIM [41] remain areas of interest.…”

Digital Building Data Longevity and Interoperability Challenges in the Documentation of Heritage Buildings

“…In the heritage buildings sector, challenges of longevity are even greater as -alongside the preservation of the building itself -the digital data of the building should also be preserved and accessed for a longer time to act as a record of the building and its alterations over its lifespans (Khalil, Stravoravdis, and Backes 2020). In fact, the data of the building should ideally outlive the building itself, to serve as an accurate representation and documentation of the building in case of any loss or damage of the building's fabric.…”

Heritage Buildings Representation and Extended Realities

“…This is shortly followed by the development of 3D visualisation software. The introduction of BIM (Building Information Modelling) tools further developed the ways of architectural representation in that it introduced an environment that can link several forms of buildings digital representation such as 2D drawings, 3D models, parametric information, photographic representation, and many other forms of data (Khalil, Stravoravdis, & Backes, 2020). Later, the introduction of extended reality applications and their rapid development paved the way towards a new era of immersive and interactive visual communication.…”

“…HBIM tools represent a crucial development in the heritage buildings sector. It facilitates the integration of different stakeholders into a unified platform that can combine the various data about heritage buildings (Khalil, Stravoravdis, & Backes, 2020). HBIM can incorporate both quantitative assets (intelligent objects, performance data) and qualitative assets (historic photographs, oral histories, music) (Fai, Graham, Duckworth, Wood, & Attar, 2011), as well as historic texts, archaeological figures, architectural information, administrative data and past drawings, sketches, photos, etc.…”