Historic building information modeling (HBIM) represents an emerging field that extends traditional building information modeling (BIM) to the preservation, management, and analysis of heritage structures. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of HBIM, tracing its evolution from its origins and early applications to its current state and future prospects. The processes of data collection and modeling are thoroughly examined, addressing levels of detail, digitization methods, and commonly used software and data formats. Attention is also given to existing BIM standards and protocols and their potential application to HBIM. The paper emphasizes the importance of appropriate data selection and management, both for geometrical and non-geometrical (historical and architectural) information. Furthermore, it explores the integration of HBIM with structural analysis tools, a subject of growing interest, particularly in light of its potential for integration with structural health monitoring systems and advanced computational models. The results of this review highlight the increasing role of HBIM in heritage preventive preservation and management, a topic that accounted for 40% of the articles on this subject in 2023. These findings demonstrate that HBIM offers significant potential for managing and preserving heritage buildings, but to fully realize its capabilities, advancements in data interoperability, standardized protocols, and real-time structural analysis are essential to make it a widely effective tool in conservation efforts.

Rammed earth has a longstanding tradition as a construction method and has recently gained renewed interest as an eco-friendly building technique. To employ it effectively in contemporary constructions, proper characterization of its mechanical properties and the development of predictive models become essential. Rammed earth structures usually work under compression, but their low shear strength makes this a key parameter for failure. Considering this, in the present study a mechanical characterization of rammed earth under compression and shear is carried out via laboratory tests, and the results are used to develop a numerical model (finite elements method) that can simulate rammed earth behavior under compressive and shear loads. The results show a good performance of the numerical models, accurately replicating the material behavior observed in laboratory. These numerical models are essential to predict the behavior and ensure an efficient and safe design of rammed earth structures.