Integration of HBIM/GIS to preserve infrastructure heritage along the Chinese Eastern Railway

Abstract

The infrastructure heritage is the symbol of the highest standard of the technical construction and design methodologies of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). As an important component of the cultural heritage of the CER, their conservation hasn't attracted more attention than the architectural heritage part. However, some heritage infrastructure components have been already demolished while others were threatened by urban expansion and natural degradation during the past hundred years. In this study, we have analysed structural features based on the original drawings and fieldwork for the reconstruction of the vanished and invisible parts of CER. HBIM will be used to support the conservation of the surviving elements. In addition, we collected geographical coordinates of the heritages using on-site GNSS records and Google Earth®. We propose a method to facilitate the preservation of this historical infrastructure by building a database that integrates HBIM and GIS, including information about historical data and the status quo. In this way, this database will not only be useful for planning purposes by the government and the conservation agencies, but also it will benefit the entire society and the public through its online display and information collection.