ABSTRACT
It is beyond doubt that heritage buildings are a fundamental expression of the richness and diversity of the world states’ culture, and their conservation is considered of utmost importance. To preserve heritage buildings, state-of-the-art recommendations suggest monitoring in real-time progressive damage of existing structures, avoiding massive interventions and providing immediate action in case of a disaster. This can be achieved thanks to the most up-to-date digital information and analysis technologies, namely, Digital Twin (DT).
This chapter proposes a detailed overview of the DT concept within the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation domain. Then, some applications framed within the structural integrity preservation of the architectural heritage are also critically discussed (with a particular focus on masonry structures). Finally, a DT concept prototype for heritage buildings’ structural integrity preservation is proposed.
