H-BIM AND THE DOMAINS OF DATA INVESTIGATIONS OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS CURRENT STATE OF THE ART

Abstract. Heritage BIM can represent many advantages for heritage building documentation, restoration, retrofitting and management. However, the most complicated challenge concerning H-BIM is the inevitability of starting at an intermediate point in the asset’s life cycle, which can be much more complex than the relatively straightforward cradle-to-grave model that describes new-build construction (Historic England, 2017). This leads to irregular geometry, non-homogeneous materials, variable morphology, not documented changes, damage and various stages of construction. These challenges put more weight on the surveying, documentation, modelling and visualisation phase within the process of HBIM.

Many investigation tools can be used and combined to document and investigate the fabric of historic buildings. This paper reviews the literature and the state of art of the different domains of data 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. These data can vary from outer geometry survey, to sub-surface 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 buildings` status and performance and can create a solid base for any required restoration and retrofitting processes.