This paper aims at presenting the recording and modelling work developed in the framework of restoration and conservation activities for the Basilica di San Giacomo in Como, Italy, whose construction started in the 11th century. The project started in 2022 and involved the application of the Historical Building Information Model (HBIM) methodology through a Scan-to-BIM approach was assessed. High-detailed 3D survey techniques were used to acquire the specific shape of the church and annexed buildings. Then, through different modelling strategies, the HBIM environment allowed the representation of all the architectural elements. The purpose of this model is to have essential support to plan the restoration activities and to give the different experts involved a single three-dimensional tool for managing all the information during the development of the construction works. The possibility to update the model over time with geometric and non-geometric information will provide a powerful tool also for other future activities, such as the installation of a monitoring system that could reveal the displacements of bearing elements of the church.

Digitization processes, i.e., the practice of converting physical assets into digital assets, are gradually transforming the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owner Operators (AECOO) industry, and it concerns new and existing buildings and infrastructures. This study is about the management of disused railways and aims to present a BIM (Building Information Modelling) / GIS (Geographic Information Systems) workflow to identify and model disused railways buildings. The workflow was tested on the ‘Potenza Inferiore Scalo’ – ‘Laurenzara’ disused railway located in the South of Italy. The objective is the creation of a comprehensive digital database to help decision-makers give new utility to these existing infrastructures and buildings. And this is because the railway heritage can represent an essential factor in sustainable development processes and landscape regeneration.

The infrastructure heritage is the symbol of the highest standard of the technical construction and design methodologies of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). As an important component of the cultural heritage of the CER, their conservation hasn’t attracted more attention than the architectural heritage part. However, some heritage infrastructure components have been already demolished while others were threatened by urban expansion and natural degradation during the past hundred years. In this study, we have analysed structural features based on the original drawings and fieldwork for the reconstruction of the vanished and invisible parts of CER. HBIM will be used to support the conservation of the surviving elements. In addition, we collected geographical coordinates of the heritages using on-site GNSS records and Google Earth^®. We propose a method to facilitate the preservation of this historical infrastructure by building a database that integrates HBIM and GIS, including information about historical data and the status quo. In this way, this database will not only be useful for planning purposes by the government and the conservation agencies, but also it will benefit the entire society and the public through its online display and information collection.

The First Songhua River Bridge of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) entered service in 1901 and was protected by three military blockhouses constructed between 1915 and 1917. As the first metal bridge in the country exceeding one kilometre in length, the bridge represents a major achievement in the engineering history of the CER. Although the bridge preserves a substantial and diverse collection of historical archives, these materials have not been systematically organised, while archival records for the blockhouses remain scarce. In 1961, the original curved-chord through trusses and deck trusses were replaced and upgraded. To address these issues, this study proposes an Infrastructure HBIM (InfraHBIM) and HBIM–GIS integration methodology for this transport infrastructure heritage to support archival management, documentation, phase-based three-dimensional reconstruction and web-based remote access. The InfraHBIM model of the bridge representing its state between 1901 and 1961 was reconstructed using a forward modelling strategy based on historical archives, while the HBIM models of the blockhouses were developed through reverse modelling driven by point-cloud data acquired by drone photogrammetry. During the integration phase, heterogeneous datasets were organised within a GIS database derived from historical records and field investigations, and the integrated models were published via ArcGIS ^® Online to enable interactive visualisation, attribute query and remote access. The proposed approach provides a reusable reference for the digital management of large-scale linear heritage systems such as railways, canals and defensive networks, while supporting professional decision making as well as public interpretation and engagement.