Methodology for an HBIM workflow focused on the representation of construction systems of built heritage

Conservation and valorisation practices of built heritage can greatly benefit from Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) workflows. The use of HBIM as an information management process is not fully established yet, also due to the focus on industrialised architecture typical of the most common BIM tools. Capitalising on the benefits of the BIM process in the field of built heritage requires pursuing a continuous trade-off between geometric accuracy, semantic richness and parametric behaviour. This research aims to present an HBIM workflow that, as compared to other, more specific pipelines, is general in scope to support the planning and implementation of maintenance and conservation activities of built heritage, emphasising the representation of the building construction systems. The workflow is structured in five phases (model planning, data collection, geometric survey, breakdown structure and HBIM modelling), recursive and flexible to influence one another and to adjust to the information available and the development of the work over time. Each phase of the workflow is presented with a general outline and a methodological insight to help operators in developing the HBIM process most suitable for specific cases. The results of the application of this methodology on a complex and massive historical building (The National Archaeological Museum of Naples - MANN) show that the workflow is both versatile and sufficiently flexible to accommodate a heterogeneous range of objectives while guiding experts to select and document the most appropriate course of action.(c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) workflows can greatly benefit the conservation and valorisation practices of built heritage. This research presents a general HBIM workflow that supports the planning and implementation of maintenance and conservation activities, with an emphasis on representing building construction systems. The workflow is structured in five phases, recursive and flexible, and provides general outlines and methodological insights for each phase to guide operators in developing the most suitable HBIM process for specific cases. The results of applying this methodology on historical buildings such as the National Archaeological Museum of Naples demonstrate the versatility and flexibility of the workflow in accommodating diverse objectives while guiding experts in selecting and documenting the most appropriate course of action.