Historic bim: A new repository for structural health monitoring

Recent developments in Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies are facilitating the management of historic complex structures using new applications. This paper proposes a generative method combining the morphological and typological aspects of the historic buildings (H-BIM), with a set of monitoring information. This combination of 3D digital survey, parametric modelling and monitoring datasets allows for the development of a system for archiving and visualizing structural health monitoring (SHM) data (Fig. 1). The availability of a BIM database allows one to integrate a different kind of data stored in different ways (e.g. reports, tables, graphs, etc.) with a representation directly connected to the 3D model of the structure with appropriate levels of detail (LoD). Data can be interactively accessed by selecting specific objects of the BIM, i.e. connecting the 3D position of the sensors installed with additional digital documentation. Such innovative BIM objects, which form a new BIM family for SHM, can be then reused in other projects, facilitating data archiving and exploitation of data acquired and processed. The application of advanced modeling techniques allows for the reduction of time and costs of the generation process, and support cooperation between different disciplines using a central workspace. However, it also reveals new challenges for parametric software and exchange formats. The case study presented is the medieval bridge Azzone Visconti in Lecco (Italy), in which multi-Temporal vertical movements during load testing were integrated into H-BIM.