HBIM tools for knowledge, maintenance and conservation of concrete built heritage

Abstract

In the 20th century, reinforced concrete was one of the most popular building materials. It was formerly regarded as a material of outstanding durability and resilience, but over the past 50 years, it has revealed severe fundamental flaws. Main weaknesses of concrete include susceptibility to chemical agents and degradation brought on by poor design and construction. As a result, restoration interventions, recovery efforts, and re-functionalization of these artifacts have progressively grown in recent decades. Only when these improvements are combined with ongoing maintenance are they effective in extending the life of the structure. The most accurate knowledge of the building and all of its components can improve the efficiency of maintenance and recovery actions. Recently, the use of BIM tools for reinforced concrete buildings is spreading more and more, going beyond new construction to include built heritage. A BIM model of an existing asset may be used to assess the building’s condition of conservation, pinpoint any issues, and assess the alternatives available for repair and conservation while projecting the impact of the adjustments on the structure. This data may be used to plan maintenance and restoration activities, track the building’s condition of conservation through time, and assess the effects of any alterations on the structure. In this work, a workflow for “reverse engineering”, enabling the creation of an HBIM model of an existing building, is proposed and then applied to a case study building. This technique may be regarded as a watershed moment in the management of reinforced concrete structures since it simplifies and organizes all of the information needed to preserve the existing architectural heritage while utilizing available resources.