Application of digital technologies in the restoration of historic buildings and heritage objects: A selection of practical examples

Abstract

Three institutes have been aiming to stimulate the application of digital technologies for the restoration of historic buildings. This project was not aiming to develop techniques, but merely to point out to building professionals how such techniques might help in optimizing the restoration process, including the actual manufacturing of elements to be employed while restoring a building. The application of scanning technologies is already quite well known for the purpose of documentation and preparation of architectural work. In this project we wanted to go further, to explore how techniques such as additive manufacturing (3d-printing) and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) might help to produce elements that can directly be used in the restoration of buildings, particularly the more complex, sculptural parts of buildings. Applications are possible in the field of natural stone (as well as its replacements with artificial stone), metals (bronze, brass and cast iron) and ceramics. In this paper represents a state of the art as it exists in Flanders: an overview of several techniques and their possibilities, and future prospects.