Methodology for assessing the vulnerability of built cultural heritage

The conservation of constructions, and especially of built heritage, requires complex studies concerning their Global Vulnerability. These studies have to consider the current state of the building, i.e. the degradation degree, and the factors that mostly affect the building and, therefore, generate alterations. These factors are not limited to the structure of the building, location and environmental factors are also involved. Hence, the assessment of built heritage vulner-ability should consider the building itself and also be extended to the site and the environment. This work presents a systematic and reproducible methodology for the quantification of the Global Vulnerability in different typologies of constructions and environments. The proposed methodology establishes a relationship between the existing alter-ations (A) and the main factors (F) that affect vulnerability (V) by means of an AFV (Alteration/Factor/Vulnerability) diagram. Based on these results alteration and vulnerability indices are calculated. The obtained AFV diagram allows the comparison between different constructions or separate areas within the same construction. This methodology was validated in two early twentieth-century constructions that form part of the reinforced concrete architectural heritage of the Basque Country: the Punta Begona Galleries (Getxo, Spain) and the Aqueduct of the Araxes paper mill (Tolosa, Spain).

Automated summary

The conservation of constructions, especially built heritage, requires comprehensive studies on their global vulnerability. This study proposes a systematic methodology for quantifying global vulnerability through the relationship between alterations, factors, and vulnerability. It highlights the importance of considering not only the building itself but also the site and environment in the assessment of built heritage vulnerability.