LOW-COST 4D BIM MODELLING: A COMPARISON BETWEEN FREECAD AND COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE

Abstract. The paper aims to investigate the potential inherent in a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) approach for the 4D BIM modelling using Freecad. In order to reach this goal it shows a comparison of Freecad features with those of commercial software, considering the evaluation of the effective application of this Open Source software in the professional environment, and highlighting the progress in the FOSS BIM area, that still represents an unexplored study field if compared to the vast publications related to BIM modelling that occurred in the last two decades. To this end, the study has been carried out on a singular case study, a steel canopy which has been designed for the urban renewal of a public space in Teramo. Despite its size, the canopy required the definition of complex details. Its structural system has addressed the study to compare Freecad with some software dedicated to steel structures or particularly suitable for the modelling of this specific structural typology: Tekla Structures and Sketchup. Starting from a concise historical reconstruction of the FOSS spread, the paper introduces a brief overview of the potential of Freecad in terms of BIM modelling - also proposing an operational modality to facilitate the drawing of BIM elements within the software - and finally reaching to the examination of three simulations which has been carried. This comparison can be useful to establish the current state of development of Freecad in the field of 4D BIM

PROCEDURAL MODELLING FOR HBIM OF ITALIAN RAILWAYS IRON BRIDGES

Abstract. The development of the railways network in the 19th century represented a significant scenario for the technological advancement of the entire Italian building sector; consequently, it produced a relevant renewal of construction techniques. Icons of this robust infrastructure building program were the railway bridges built over the Po river; their construction represented an arduous technological challenge. Unfortunately, in the years following the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy the national industry was disorganized and unprepared to face this ambitious challenge; indeed, the first four bridges were built by foreign companies that could guarantee the necessary technological know-how. However, the industrial scenario immediately changed and the last two bridges were designed and built by Italian engineers and steelwork companies. The railway bridges over the River Po are now lost; the changing needs of railway traffic or bombings during the Second World War unavoidably led to their demolition. Their enhancement through 3d modelling and virtual representation is fundamental for the rediscovering of the role they played not only in the construction of the national infrastructural system but also in the life of the young state. To this aim, the paper proposes the outcomes of research that explores the potentialities of 3d software with Visual Programming Language (VPL), in order to create modelling tools useful for the disclosure and dissemination of the historical value of this lost heritage

THE LOST HERITAGE OF ROMAN IRON AND STEEL BRIDGES. VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION OF TWO CASE STUDIES

Abstract. In the second half of 19th century the city of Rome knew a period of great urban transformations: the Pope Pio IX and after, the government of the new Kingdom of Italy, strongly pushed the modernization of the ancient and underdeveloped city, trying to follow the examples of the main European capitals. One of the most relevant signs of that period was the construction of multiple iron and steel bridges along the Tiber, that were built to improve the crossing network guaranteed by the old masonry links. Different supporting systems were used and many experimental technologies for the Italian context were tested, representing a crucial phase for the settle of a design and an industrial know-how that was firstly imported from the most advanced countries of the Northern Europe. In the 20th century most of these connections were unfortunately replaced, losing this precious heritage which was strongly linked to the technological culture of the time. Garibaldi Bridge, still present but radically transformed, and Alari Bridge, completely demolished, have been accurately modelled thanks to the availability of appropriate archival documentation and on-site tests, applied following a proposed methodology. The virtual reconstruction of the two case studies permits to spread the knowledge of this lost heritage, to ease the divulgation of past technologies and to recover the unusual image of exposed iron and steel structures surrounded by the ancient panorama of the Eternal city.</p

HBIM AND THE 20TH CENTURY STEEL BUILDING HERITAGE – A PROCEDURE SUITABLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION HISTORY IN ITALY

Abstract. The use of steel technologies in Italian architecture still represents an unexplored field of research, characterised by limited and fragmented episodes that reveal important design experimentations and relevant architectural results of the 20th century. For this reason, the aim of the research consists of defining a HBIM methodological approach addressed to the study of modern steel architectures, considering their specific features and their hybrid constructive nature. Indeed these buildings are often characterized by a high level of industrial production of building components merged with the recovery of a craftsmanship tradition, particularly appearing at the scale of structure and envelope details. The balance between standardization and traditional techniques in production processes, leads to the definition of a HBIM method composed of three steps: an operational tools for existing buildings of 20th century made of steel that could support the construction of building digital archives, the organisation of maintenance programs and possible transformative actions, avoiding the loss of this heritage sometimes caused by bad interventions that deeply change original and valuable features of these architectures.</p

Fuzzy environmental analogy index to develop environmental similarity maps for designing air quality monitoring networks on a large-scale

All activities aimed at studying the primary causes and effects of air pollution cannot disregard the fact that it is necessary to have an optimal air quality monitoring network for assessing population exposure to air pollution and predicting the magnitude of the health risks. In the framework of a cooperation between the ARPA Sicilia Organization and the Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, research was performed to develop an innovative methodology useful for defining environmental similarity maps aimed at supporting the design of air quality monitoring networks at the regional scale. This approach is based on a new index called the fuzzy environmental analogy index (FEAI) based on fuzzy theory. FEAI is deduced by combining two indexes: meteorological pressure indicator (MPI) and anthropic pressure indicator (API). MPI allows us to investigate, for the examined territory, analogies relevant to meteorological conditions, and API emphasizes the importance of impacts related to anthropogenic or natural sources at the regional scale. Finally, FEAI applications in a case study related to the Sicily region in Italy are also described. The obtained results confirm the capability of the FEAI to investigate similarities between neighboring areas in terms of environmental pressures due to anthropic and natural sources and to identify gaps in the monitoring network used to define existing air quality conditions