Systematization proposal for the analysis of columns from point clouds

The research is framed in the significant development of massive data capture techniques in the 21st century, with point clouds becoming essential in various fields. In the context of architectural heritage, this topographical information is particularly useful in identifying and analysing formal anomalies, among many other applications. The study focuses on systematizing the analysis of columns, vital structural elements with diverse formal definitions, especially in historical buildings. The research proposes a simple workflow based mainly on open-source software for the systematic formal study columns. The investigation explores two types of formal anomalies, namely buckling and bulging, testing different methodological approaches. The results offer insights into the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed methods, enabling detailed parameterization of the analysed anomalies. That information is crucial from the point of view of diagnosis and conservation.