Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology is becoming widespread with many potential uses, such as facility and asset management for new buildings. Recently, it has also been applied for the maintenance of built heritage, within the so-called Historical BIM (HBIM) field. A BIM model, empowered by detailed embedded information, is an excellent tool to monitor and infer on the behaviour, performance and deterioration of heritage buildings, collecting and classifying diverse data that can co-exist in an asset model. However, three main issues must be tackled: lack of standardization, insufficient interoperability and inherent complexity of the information. It is essential to balance model’s geometrical and non-geometrical features, such as the level of detail accuracy and the quantity of linked information, to make the methodology cost-effective and hence more attractive for end-users. The present work focuses on the development of easy-to-implement strategy to report and monitor damage evolution over time. Standardization and simplification of the procedures are pursued by using Product Data Templates (PDTs) and focusing on interoperability of information through specific provisions of export/import definitions for Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The developed methodology is tested on the Ducal Palace in Guimarães, Portugal, one of the most prominent monuments of the country.

Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) plays a pivotal role in heritage conservation endeavours, offering a robust framework for digitally documenting existing structures and supporting conservation practices. However, HBIM’s efficacy hinges upon the implementation of case-specific approaches to address the requirements and resources of each individual asset and context. This paper defines a flexible and generalisable workflow that encompasses various aspects (i.e., documentation, surveying, vulnerability assessment) to support risk-informed decision making in heritage management tailored to the peculiar conservation needs of the structure. This methodology includes an initial investigation covering historical data collection, metric and condition surveys and non-destructive testing. The second stage includes Finite Element Method (FEM) modelling and structural analysis. All data generated and processed are managed in a multi-purpose HBIM model. The methodology is tested on a relevant case study, namely, the church of Santa Ana in Seville, chosen for its historical significance, intricacy and susceptibility to seismic action. The defined level of detail of the HBIM model is sufficient to inform the structural analysis, being balanced by a more accurate representation of the alterations, through linked orthophotos and a comprehensive list of alphanumerical parameters. This ensures an adequate level of information, optimising the trade-off between model complexity, investigation time requirements, computational burden and reliability in the decision-making process. Field testing and FEM analysis provide valuable insight into the main sources of vulnerability in the building, including the connection between the tower and nave and the slenderness of the columns.

This paper aims to explore the dynamic behavior of a segmental masonry arch subjected to increasing horizontal displacements of one support. To this end, output-only dynamic identification techniques are first used to track the evolution of the dynamic features of the system under progressive damage scenarios and evaluate their sensitivity to settlement-induced cracks. Considerations on the structural response of the segmental arch up to failure are also included. Then, a numerical procedure coupling linear perturbation and modal analysis is applied to simulate the dynamic behavior of the arch over consecutive scenarios, taking into account the influence of the damage on the structure’s dynamic properties in an automatic way. The combination of experimental and numerical analyses allows to fully investigate the dynamics of the cracked masonry arch and to shed light on relevant aspects about the effects of settlement-induced cracks on the modal blueprints of masonry arches.