THE INTEGRATED 3D SURVEY for PLANNED CONSERVATION: The FORMER CHURCH and CONVENT of SANT'AGOSTINO in BERGAMO

Abstract

Time effects and human offenses threaten cultural heritage. The constant observation and periodic maintenance activities are the most suitable safeguarding solution: they can limit risk situations and facilitate interventions. Today, planned conservation is thus the best pattern to preserve the monuments as focused on small preventive restoration: actions organized and structured according to steady and regular monitoring. The preliminary survey, the interpretation of metric and material data and the subsequent verification of the evolution of instability and degradation phenomena based on a comparison with previous information, is a long and expensive activity if carried out by traditional systems. Otherwise, 3D laser scanning and image-based reconstruction methodologies - if properly applied within optimized operational practices - can allow both the systematic control of assets' conditions and the evaluation of their health status and decay problems in a short time and with lower costs. This paper intends to show the validity of such an innovative methodology through a case study applied to the former church and convent of Sant'Agostino (St. Augustine) in Bergamo.