HBIM for Conservation: A New Proposal for Information Modeling

Thanks to its capability of archiving and organizing all the information about a building, HBIM (Historical Building Information Modeling) is considered a promising resource for planned conservation of historical assets. However, its usage remains limited and scarcely adopted by the subjects in charge of conservation, mainly because of its rather complex 3D modeling requirements and a lack of shared regulatory references and guidelines as far as semantic data are concerned. In this study, we developed an HBIM methodology to support documentation, management, and planned conservation of historic buildings, with particular focus on non-geometric information: organized and coordinated storage and management of historical data, easy analysis and query, time management, flexibility, user-friendliness, and information sharing. The system is based on a standalone specific-designed database linked to the 3D model of the asset, built with BIM software, and it is highly adaptable to different assets. The database is accessible both with a developed desktop application, which acts as a plug-in for the BIM software, and through a web interface, implemented to ensure data sharing and easy usability by skilled and unskilled users. The paper describes in detail the implemented system, passing by semantic breaking down of the building, database design, as well as system architecture and capabilities. Two case studies, the Cathedral of Parma and Ducal Palace of Mantua (Italy), are then presented to show the results of the system’s application.