Structural Health Monitoring and Management of Cultural Heritage Structures: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

In recent decades, the urgency to protect and upgrade cultural heritage structures (CHS) has become of primary importance due to their unique value and potential areas of impact (economic, social, cultural, and environmental). Structural health monitoring (SHM) and the management of CHS are emerging as decisive safeguard measures aimed at assessing the actual state of the conservation and integrity of the structure. Moreover, the data collected from SHM are essential to plan cost-effective and sustainable maintenance solutions, in compliance with the basic preservation principles for historic buildings, such as minimum intervention. It is evident that, compared to new buildings, the application of SHM to CHS is even more challenging because of the uniqueness of each monitored structure and the need to respect its architectural and historical value. This paper aims to present a state-of-the-art evaluation of the current traditional and innovative SHM techniques adopted for CHS and to identify future research trends. First, a general introduction regarding the use of monitoring strategies and technologies for CHS is presented. Next, various traditional SHM techniques currently used in CHS are described. Then, attention is focused on the most recent technologies, such as fibre optic sensors and smart-sensing materials. Finally, an overview of innovative methods and tools for managing and analysing SHM data, including IoT-SHM systems and the integration of BIM in heritage structures, is provided.

Analysis of the Current Status of Sensors and HBIM Integration: A Review Based on Bibliometric Analysis

“…The conservation of heritage buildings poses a highly complex challenge due to various threats that can affect the integrity of these cultural assets. These challenges include the vulnerability of these structures to natural hazards, their pre-existing conservation conditions, their unique structural and material characteristics, their low energy efficiency, and the effects of climate change, which are becoming increasingly relevant [1]. The control of environmental and climatic factors is extremely delicate, especially when dealing with historic buildings open to tourist visits [2].…”

“…SHM involves observing structures over time with periodic measurements, extracting damage-related features, and statistically analyzing these features to assess the current health of the building and anticipate its future behavior [5]. The implementation of this type of system is not only essential to assess structural performance, but also to provide valuable information to facilitate the planning of cost-effective and sustainable maintenance and retrofit solutions [1].…”

“…However, despite the many advantages offered by these digital technologies, significant challenges remain in their practical application. These challenges include sensor overloads, unreliable networks, and problems related to data compression and transmission [1].…”

Evaluation of Calcarenite Degradation by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analysis inside the Rupestrian Church of San Pietro Barisano (Matera, Southern Italy)

“…The state-of-the-art diagnostics and preservation of cultural heritage refers to the advancement of pioneering monitoring techniques and maintenance strategies based on the interrelation of green methodologies and new technologies respondent to the following overall requirements: monumental health and the accurate mapping of degradation; remote sensing and imaging at different scales and dimensions, digitization and data storage, and the dynamic use of technological databases; functional consolidation of monuments to prevent further deterioration and bioactivity; and enhancement from the perspective of safety and the circular cultural economy [10][11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

Historical Retaining Walls Monitoring: A Case Study of Debosquette Wall of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

“…The application of these methods has its pros and cons. However, a number of recent studies have shown that any of these methods can be successfully applied to monitor historic buildings [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. In general, geospatial monitoring of engineering structures contains well-known stages, namely design, target setup, geodetic network creation, observations, data processing, and analysis.…”