Methodology for assessing the vulnerability of built cultural heritage

The conservation of constructions, and especially of built heritage, requires complex studies concerning their Global Vulnerability. These studies have to consider the current state of the building, i.e. the degradation degree, and the factors that mostly affect the building and, therefore, generate alterations. These factors are not limited to the structure of the building, location and environmental factors are also involved. Hence, the assessment of built heritage vulnerability should consider the building itself and also be extended to the site and the environment. This work presents a systematic and reproducible methodology for the quantification of the Global Vulnerability in different typologies of constructions and environments. The proposed methodology establishes a relationship between the existing alterations (A) and the main factors (F) that affect vulnerability (V) by means of an AFV (Alteration/Factor/Vulnerability) diagram. Based on these results alteration and vulnerability indices are calculated. The obtained AFV diagram allows the comparison between different constructions or separate areas within the same construction. This methodology was validated in two early twentieth-century constructions that form part of the reinforced concrete architectural heritage of the Basque Country: the Punta Begoña Galleries (Getxo, Spain) and the Aqueduct of the Araxes paper mill (Tolosa, Spain).This study was conducted by UPV/EHU Research Group IT-1029/16 (Government of the Basque Country) in the framework of the project titled “Puesta en valor del inmueble histórico cultural Galerías Punta Begoña (Getxo, Bizkaia)” [“Revitalising the Punta Begoña Galleries, a culturally historic building in Getxo, Biscay Province”], under a cooperation agreement between the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the City Council of Getxo (OTRI2019-0318). The authors are very grateful for the comments and suggestions of the referees, which have undoubtedly improved the original manuscript

Analysis of the State of Building Conservation through Study of Damage and Its Evolution with the State of Conservation Assessment BIM Model (SCABIM)

Residential building inspections are periodically required by public authorities. However, current approaches to storing and viewing data concerning an inspection are often collected in reports whose form and limited content hamper the rigorous assessment of the building’s state of conservation and subsequent repair of the identified damage and alterations. This research proposes a method for documenting and displaying inspection-related information in BIM models to generate a dynamic information model. Damage is spatially located by means of a parametric family, which collects the necessary information about each instance of damage and enables agile and up-to-date information extraction. The proposed method was validated in a residential building situated in San Sebastián, with a scenario designed to demonstrate its ability to support the diagnosis of causes and decision making regarding maintenance. This work demonstrates the advantages of the parametric representation of information on damage and alterations in a BIM model, which facilitates the management of a residential building’s life cycle by means of a digital twin of the building. The results shown in this research may be very interesting for researchers as well as for those whose work involves the rehabilitation of residential buildings.This reserach is funded by UPV-EHU grant number US19/10

BIM Application for Sustainable Teaching Environment and Solutions in the Context of COVID-19

COVID-19 had a major impact on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it produced a crisis in Goal 4, which is aimed at ensuring quality education, among others. In this work, a university experience that aims to solve the challenges in this complicated context by means of BIM technology is presented. On the one hand, this study focuses on the development of teaching by means of active methodologies based on real projects through BIM models, using the latest information and communication technologies, and on the other hand, it focuses on the management of the education center by means of a virtual BIM building. This allowed for, among other things, tackling the sustainable management of the measures required to prevent contagion. These BIM models made it possible, for example, to optimize spaces while maintaining social distances between occupants, to simulate the best options for classroom ventilation, and to optimize special cleaning and disinfection resources. Students who developed their learning through these BIM virtual models were not restricted in receiving online classes; they learned to collaborate from anywhere in the world, acquiring skills that allow them to effectively face real situations that are as complicated as COVID-19

Challenges for Digitalisation in Building Renovation to Enhance the Efficiency of the Process: A Spanish Case Study

Although construction is one of the largest industries in the world, it is one of the least digitised and its productivity is still very low. Excesses of time and cost are common and are even more accentuated for building renovation. Recently, the building information modeling (BIM) methodology has strongly entered in the construction sector and appears to be an effective paradigm shift. Considering all of the previously mentioned aspects, this article addresses the identification and analysis of the critical barriers of renovation and the potential for digitalisation to overcome them using BIM. The methodology that was used is based on an open innovation approach called Living Labs, where consultations with the key stakeholders of the construction process aims for a higher digitalisation to focus on real needs and fitted to the user’s requirements. Starting from a worldwide survey, the analysis of the Spanish casuistry is deepened. From the analysis of barriers and opportunities, the necessary requirements for an optimal BIM application in renovation are highlighted. After identifying the key aspects that each stakeholder’ typology has considered as relevant, a set of key performance indicators have been selected, to monitor the improvements in the renovation process when BIM is adopted.This work has been developed within the project BIM4Ren. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon H2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 820773. This manuscript reflects only the author’s views and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains

Challenges for Digitalisation in Building Renovation to Enhance the Efficiency of the Process: A Spanish Case Study

Although construction is one of the largest industries in the world, it is one of the least digitised and its productivity is still very low. Excesses of time and cost are common and are even more accentuated for building renovation. Recently, the building information modeling (BIM) methodology has strongly entered in the construction sector and appears to be an effective paradigm shift. Considering all of the previously mentioned aspects, this article addresses the identification and analysis of the critical barriers of renovation and the potential for digitalisation to overcome them using BIM. The methodology that was used is based on an open innovation approach called Living Labs, where consultations with the key stakeholders of the construction process aims for a higher digitalisation to focus on real needs and fitted to the user’s requirements. Starting from a worldwide survey, the analysis of the Spanish casuistry is deepened. From the analysis of barriers and opportunities, the necessary requirements for an optimal BIM application in renovation are highlighted. After identifying the key aspects that each stakeholder’ typology has considered as relevant, a set of key performance indicators have been selected, to monitor the improvements in the renovation process when BIM is adopted.This work has been developed within the project BIM4Ren. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon H2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 820773. This manuscript reflects only the author’s views and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains

Cantera Gorria and Red Ereño: Natural and Cultural Geoheritage (Basque Country, Spain)

[EN] Construction and ornamental stones are important elements of cultural heritage and geoheritage. The quarries, where these materials are extracted, are a type of site that combines these two types of heritage. Both the ornamental character of the rock and its place of origin can be deeply rooted in the local society. Red Ereno is a red micritic limestone (Lower Cretaceous) with abundant white rudist fossil shells. This stone has been exploited since Roman times in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Basque Country, Spain) and exported internationally. The main quarry related to the extraction of Red Ereno, Cantera Gorria, is currently a cultural and geoheritage site. This emblematic site brings together numerous geologic (palaeontological, petrological, geomorphological and tectonic) and mining features that make it a reference point for both research and teaching activities. The link between geoheritage and cultural heritage that exists in Cantera Gorria is evident and makes this place an essential point for dissemination of geology as well as for tourism. The quarry is currently abandoned, and because of this, there is an urgent need for its protection and development, and in order to increase awareness of its importance and potential use.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. UPV/EHU Research Group IT-029/16 (Government of the Basque Country)

Unitéak eta hibridoak. 3 saiakera luzetarako bizitetxeen gainean

60etako etxebizitza arkitekturak ezaugarri eta ñabardura bereziak hartu zituen han eta hemen, Europa mendebaldeko herrialde guztietan; etxebizitza arkitektura da, hain zuzen ere, hazkunde garai hartako lekukorik zintzoena. Garaiko arkitektoek, aspaldiko etxebizitza-ereduek balio ez zutela sinetsita eta mende erdialdera eskuratu baliabide berriak lanabes, hainbat bideri ekin zioten etxebizitza premia handiari erantzuna emateko asmoz. Izan zen bat, ebazpide horien artean, konplexutasun erantsia ekarri zuena etxebizitzak elkarren artean organizatzeko orduan; bizitzak, elkarren gainean baino, luzetara eranstetik zetorrena, hain zuzen ere. Luzetarako blokeok igarobide luzeak baliatzen zituzten, korridore baten inguruan batzuetan eta alboko pasareletatik besteetan. Bide horien inguruan uztartzen ziren, konplexutasun maila ezberdinen arabera, etxebizitzak. 1966 eta 1975 urteen artean euskal kostaldean eraikitako hiru promozio publiko aztertzen ditu lan honek, ezin hobeki ematen dutenak garaiko Europan luzetarako ereduen gainean puri-purian zeuden hiru ikuspegi nagusien eraginaren berri

Characterization of complex groundwater flows in the environment of singular buildings by combining hydrogeological and non-destructive geophysical (ground-penetrating radar) techniques: Punta Begona Galleries (Getxo, Spain)

[EN] Locating and quantifying groundwater flow in many built-up areas are a priority with regard to its complete restoration. In this work, a hydrogeological survey of the surroundings of the Punta Begona Galleries (Getxo, Bizkaia), built on a coastal cliff, was completed by using ground penetrating radar (GPR) testing. Thus, the preliminary characterization of soils and rocks in accessible areas of the cliff was first improved by hydrogeological information gathered from a single survey borehole, including permeability measurements by low pressure injection tests (LPTs) and continuous water level monitoring. As a complementary method, the non-destructive GPR technique was performed during both dry and wet hydrological periods and in tandem with the injection tests, providing more complete spatial and temporal images of water flows. Specifically, GPR allows mapping of flow paths in soils and assessing the continuity of fractures in rock masses. Altogether, this complementary approach provides greater knowledge of complex underground flow dynamics in built environments, thus making it easier to make decisions for their managementCity Council of Getxo, Grant/Award Number: OTRI2016-0738; University of the Basque CountryUriarte, JA.; Damas Molla, L.; Sagarna, M.; Aranburu, A.; García García, F.; Antiguedad, I.; Morales, T. (2020). Characterization of complex groundwater flows in the environment of singular buildings by combining hydrogeological and non-destructive geophysical (ground-penetrating radar) techniques: Punta Begona Galleries (Getxo, Spain). Hydrological Processes. 34(4):1004-1015. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13635S1004101534

Hormigoi armatuaren eboluzioa linealki irakurtzeko ezintasuna. Espainiaren kasua (1896-1973)

The evolution of the quality of an artificial material in subsequent periods should not present setbacks. Technological development and monitoring the execution should ensure a favourable outcome in quality. However, socioeconomic and political forces can distort the course of this evolution, making it impossible for a linear read-ing; serving as an example of this is the history of reinforced concrete in Spain. The purpose of this article is to explain this evolution, comparing and analyzing chronolog-ically the data obtained from a series of structures built in the Basque Country in the past.; Material artifizial baten kalitateak garaiz garai duen bilakaerak ez luke atzerakadarik izan behar. Garapen teknologikoak eta erabileraren jarraipenak bermatu beharko lukete kalitatearen hobekuntza, baldin eta egia balitz teknologiak eta zien-tziak, bide beretik, norabide berean eta abiadura berarekin egiten dutela beti aurrera. Alabaina, gertaera sozioekonomiko eta politikoek baldintzatu dezakete bilakaera hori, material baten teknologiaren eta ezaugarrien eboluzioa linealki irakurtzea ezinezko bihurtuz. Horren adibide garbia da Espainian hormigoi armatuak izan duen bilakaera. Artikulu honek hori azaltzea du helburu, Euskal Herrian aspaldian eraikitako hainbat egitura historikotan eskuraturiko datuak elkarren parean jarriz eta kronologikoki aztertuz