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This letter from the editor introduces Vol. 26(4) of the Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics. This issue features research that measures, analyses, and scripts architectural forms and elements to reveal insights into celebrated examples and propose novel methods for generating buildings or components. Geographically, the research in this issue includes detailed examinations of historical buildings in China, Greece, Iran, Spain and the United Kingdom. The building types explored range from railway stations to religious structures and military facilities. The methods include surveys, generative scripting and deep learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical buildings in the Eastern world of architecture host many Islamic geometric patterns which are known as mathematically sophisticated patterns regarding their period of creation. This study focuses on the preparation of a model that can be helpful for the analysis and restoration/maintenance of these patterns. For this, a deep learning model to detect and classify star types in Islamic geometric patterns has been proposed, and the trials were evaluated. Accordingly, this study presents a database containing 5-pointed, 6-pointed, 8-pointed and 12-pointed star types. The database consists of 600 Islamic geometric patterns. A mask RCNN algorithm was trained to detect and classify star types using the prepared database. The results of the training indicate that the loss value is 0.90 and the validation loss value is 0.85. The algorithm was tested using images that it had not seen before and the results were evaluated. This paper presents a discussion on the pros and cons of the trained algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical maps provide insights into the morphology, cultural, and political shifts of ancient societies. Pingjiang Map is one of the earliest comprehensive ancient Chinese maps, depicting the heritage water city of Suzhou. This study takes it as the subject to examine the temporal and spatial reconstructions of Suzhou city after its devastation in the Song-Jin wars during the twelfth–thirteenth centuries. It uses historical geographical information system (H-GIS) and historical building information management (H-BIM) to simulate Suzhou city in the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) and the city's subsequent modernization to the present. By comparing and contrasting Pingjiang Map, the Song dynasty Suzhou, and the current city in the configuration of clusters such as urban wall, canal, street, government and citadel, temple, and residential ward, we establish evolutionary links between Pingjiang Map and the city, providing insights to the mechanism underlying urban transformation. Through H-BIM, we conducted a temporal and spatial analysis of the twelfth–thirteenth centuries' citadel of Suzhou, simulating the construction sequence of palatial artefacts. Our research argues that Pingjiang Map stele forged an imperial vision, serving both for documentation and planning. It encoded building information for the central government to manage post-war reconstruction. The research establishes the workflow of 'SQS'—spatialization, quantitative analysis, and simulation—to investigate the evolution of imperial cities and their cartography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanized area of Rome is largely built over volcanic deposits, characterized by a significant radionuclides content and consequently a high radon emanation potential. An accurate monitoring of workplaces and residential dwellings constitutes a first step towards mitigating the indoor radon exposure. Since radon diffusion dynamics involves complex interactions among many environmental parameters on different time scales, a proper assessment of radon concentration variations can be better achieved by means of active monitoring approaches. We present here the results of 1 year of continuous measurements conducted in six premises (five apartments and a basement) at different floors of the same building in the Esquilino district, in the historical center of Rome. Collecting annual series of radon concentration enables us to identify fluctuations over a seasonal scale, with radon generally decreasing in the warm season. The simultaneous tracking of different floors should cancel the influence of geogenic radon and of building characteristics like age, typology, and construction materials. While the basement shows the highest radon concentration, indicating a major contribution from the ground, we observe indoor radon levels comparable at all the upper floors, questioning the common belief that high-risk exposure be limited to the lowest storeys. The use of active devices makes it possible to discriminate between average indoor radon measured during the day and overnight, when residents are more likely to be at home. Our analysis provides the characterization of the dynamics of the gas emanation and transport inside the buildings and of its temporal fluctuations, in relation to the environmental and meteorological conditions. Since the experiment was performed in the Roman urban contest, we cannot ignore the specificity of the retrieved data, affected not only by endogenous factors like life habits relative to ventilation and conditioning of the apartments, but also by exogenous factors, among which the warmer microclimate compared to the surrounding suburban and rural areas, due to the effects of urbanization (urban heat island effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the process of digitally reconstructing the ancient Korean city of Suwon Hwaseong in 3D utilizing Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) resources to accurately represent its wooden architectural heritage. Previous 3D reconstructions of cultural heritage have often prioritized appearance or remained partially disassembled. However, our reconstruction method offers a comprehensive representation of the appearance and the internal structure of wooden architectural heritage, which can be suitable for restoration maintenance. To ensure accuracy in digital restoration, we collected and utilized administrative records and historical materials, including the geography, fortress walls, folk houses, and Haenggung (the temporary palace of the Joseon Dynasty)—drawing from the archive of the Korean Cultural Heritage Service's management records and the 1796 manuscript "Uigwe: Royal Protocols of the Hwaseong Fortress" which documents the construction of the ancient city of Suwon Hwaseong. Extensive architectural records were used to generate HBIM data, which digitized historical records, documents, and drawings to accurately represent the complex layout of the wooden architectural heritage. For the folk houses that lacked design records and the fortress walls that retained their original shape, we performed a digital restoration-based façade modeling. These elements of the ancient city of Suwon Hwaseong were assembled into a 3D model using Unreal Engine (version 5.1.1) to digitally reconstruct the city and enhance its visual representation. The digital restoration content, which utilizes visual effects and precise rendering from a game engine, can be used for the restoration, repair, and maintenance of both appearance and internal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of historical buildings requires an application of suitable and convenient materials which are compatible with historical legacy. On the other hand, the used materials have to show adequate durability and fulfil current tendencies of environmental-friendliness policy. Most historical buildings have their facades made of lime-based, or more precisely, blended-lime-based plasters. Metakaolin belongs to one of the most common representatives of pozzolanic admixtures used in this field. It is an artificial product, which arises by the calcination of kaolinitic clay or claystone at temperatures of about 550–900 °C. Like every other production process, a remarkable amount of waste rises also in the case of metakaolin. This study is aimed at the utilization of this waste, specifically the waste calcined shale (WCS). It is composed of not properly burned particles with varying compositions. Contrary to metakaolin, it contains a lower amount of amorphous phase and a higher amount of kaolinite and mullite. WCS was used in the production of lime-based plasters with a dosage of up to 50%. During the hardening, the carbonation process takes place in combination with the pozzolanic reactions. It gives rise to a higher amount of amorphous structures, about 15% in the case of pure lime contrary to up to 45% (in the highest dosage of WCS) and other crystal phases such as calcium-aluminate-carbonate hydrates. Obtained phase analyses are supported by the determination of SEM analysis and mechanical properties, which are also measured depending on time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spraying Bentonite NanoClay as an innovative idea satisfied an urgent need for conservation of historical brick constructions. This research explores the application of Nanotechnology as a Nano-Geotechnics (NaG) and Nano Ground Improvement (NGI) techniques for fortifying the mortar between bricks in historical buildings against some environmental erosive factors. Bentonite Nanoparticles were selected because of their compatibility with mortar. They were applied via Nano Spray to mitigate holes and cracks caused by erosion. Various percentages of bentonite NanoClay (2–10%) Spray and the number of times to spray on the mortar were evaluated. Validation through field emission scanning electron microscopy imaging (FESEM/SEM), X-Ray differaction and Fluorescence analyses (XRD/XRF), Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), porosity tests, water absorption time measurement, and weathering tests confirmed the efficacy and long-term stability of this method. The result indicated that double spraying of a 2% NanoClay solution proved most effective in reducing porosity, declining water absorption, and enhancing resistance to freezing and rain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical buildings carry the key technologies and practical values throughout the development of architectural heritage. Investigating the restoration techniques for historical buildings under various forms of damage is an essential step in the conservation and utilization of these structures. Utilizing Web of Science (WOS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) as the primary databases, this study employs the PRISMA methodology to search and screen relevant research literature. A comprehensive review of the retained literature is conducted, analyzing publication trends, co-citation networks of authors and keywords, among other characteristics. To enhance the visibility of restoration techniques, three-dimensional modeling diagrams are created using actual case information of material or component damage as a reference, thereby increasing the referential value of the review content on historical building restoration techniques. The study provides a thorough review of over 30 restoration techniques corresponding to 9 types of damage from the perspectives of historical building walls and wooden components. Additionally, new materials or technologies mentioned in the retrieved literature are categorized; for instance, in the context of moisture-proof treatment for brick masonry, traditional methods are explained, and new research on electrochemical desalination and lipid-based waterproof materials is discussed and evaluated. Finally, given the multifaceted value and the variable mechanisms of damage in historical buildings, an analysis of the restoration process and techniques reveals that the restoration of historical buildings is a complex interdisciplinary process. The development and implementation of restoration plans should adhere to the principles of cultural relic protection to ensure their reasonableness and effectiveness, while also considering sustainability and environmental adaptability to protect and reuse historical buildings, thus leveraging their cultural and historical values. Moreover, the advancement of restoration techniques for historical buildings in the future should be based on the inheritance of traditional craftsmanship and materials, while also integrating new technologies, materials, and concepts to enhance the applicability and efficiency of traditional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In total, 24 brick samples for archaeomagnetic studies were taken from ten historical buildings constructed between c.1280 AD and 1630 AD in northern Poland. Eight of them are from the gothic period. The Thellier–Thellier archaeointensity protocol was used in order to determine the ancient intensity and inclination registered by the bricks. In total, 28 representative specimens from 16 bricks gave successful archaeointensity determination with category B of results quality. For 25 of them the corrections for anisotropy of thermoremanent magnetization and cooling rate were introduced. A large number of specimens classified as category C (48%) is due to a high value of relative additivity check error d(AC) caused most probably by the presence of multi-domain magnetite. The curvature parameter k exceeds the limit value in 11 specimens. However, in the same sample specimens with k higher than 0.270 have provided very similar values of archaeointensity than those with k below this limit. Corrected data are convergent with the Central European master curve of archaeointensity. The corrections of raw data reduce their dispersion at specimen/sample level in most of sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the elements at risk, through the identification of the main hazards, level of exposure and different dimensions of the vulnerability of the communities, is an essential step toward the definition and adoption of more effective risk reduction strategies. Historic urban centres have received special attention in the assessment of damage and physical vulnerability to earthquakes, but it is well known that vulnerability also depends on the social and demographic characteristics of communities. This paper discusses the application of a holistic approach aimed at assessing the seismic vulnerability of historic urban centres by considering their physical and social dimensions. Two index-based methodologies are presented, and the data are analyzed using the CENSUS block as the unit of study, which is scarcely present in the literature. The results of both indices are crossed through a matrix, which allows the classification of the blocks in five levels of priority and are mapped using a Geographic Information System tool. The Historic city centre of La Serena, one of the oldest in Chile, was selected as a case study. This historic city centre still preserves historic buildings of raw earth of diverse architectural typologies widely distributed throughout the country, which makes it relevant, not only by itself but as a model that can be replicated and extrapolated to other historic centres of similar constructive characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic segmentation of point clouds of ancient buildings plays an important role in Historical Building Information Modelling (HBIM). As the annotation task of point cloud of ancient architecture is characterised by strong professionalism and large workload, which greatly restricts the application of point cloud semantic segmentation technology in the field of ancient architecture, therefore, this paper launches a research on the semantic segmentation method of point cloud of ancient architecture based on weak supervision. Aiming at the problem of small differences between classes of ancient architectural components, this paper introduces a self-attention mechanism, which can effectively distinguish similar components in the neighbourhood. Moreover, this paper explores the insufficiency of positional encoding in baseline and constructs a high-precision point cloud semantic segmentation network model for ancient buildings—Semantic Query Network based on Dual Local Attention (SQN-DLA). Using only 0.1% of the annotations in our homemade dataset and the Architectural Cultural Heritage (ArCH) dataset, the mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) reaches 66.02% and 58.03%, respectively, which is an improvement of 3.51% and 3.91%, respectively, compared to the baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of the preliminary experimental research and analysis of the structure of samples of clay solid bricks from six historical buildings erected in Poland in the years 1300 to 1910. Images obtained with a scanning electron microscope; parameters characterizing the pore space of the ceramic material, which were obtained using mercury porosimetry; and chemical composition identified using an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, were analyzed. The test results showed that as the age of the brick increases, the homogeneity of its structure decreases, the chemical composition of all samples is quite similar, and in the tested samples, large disproportions in the percentage of pore width in individual ranges can be observed. An indicator P-index useful in comparing the studied structures was proposed, based on the knowledge of the share of the pores' width within the adopted ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The former Italian concession in Tianjin (1901–1945) has assumed symbolic significance for the modern urban redevelopment of this municipality through experimentation with distinctive practices of conservation management. In 1986, when the Historic Buildings Protection Area was defined, the former Italian concession was identified as a pilot urban conservation project. In 2002, the public company Haihe Construction and Development Investment Ltd. was put in charge of the design and implementation plan for the site, which progressively assumed the semblance of an 'Italian-Style Town'. The distinctive transformation raised significant questions regarding the architectural restyling as well as its specific historical and cultural value. In August 2020, the management of the Italian-Style town was handed over to the Hebei District Government. This coincided with the emergence of a proposal for the creation of a 'Larger Italian-Style Town', that extended beyond the borders of the original Italian concession to include the former Austrian concession and the western section of the ex-Russian concession. The redevelopment strategy for this larger area aimed to create a service-oriented commercial area, presented as an 'urban living room', while showcasing Tianjin as an international metropolis. This article analyses the evolution of the conservation strategy as well as the relevant legislation, management, and practices during the redevelopment of the former Italian concession. The aim of this study is to address the conflict between heritage protection and commercialisation. Thus, this article offers a critique of the trend towards functional replacement and structural adaptation to cater to the tourism industry rather than to the value of the community's livelihood as a living heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has underscored the effectiveness of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) in retrofitting unreinforced masonry (URM) structures. The retrofitting method of embedding ECC in the bed mortar joints is suitable for strengthening historic masonry buildings because the ECC can be concealed within the mortar joints. This study introduces an experimental campaign aimed at understanding the effects of this strengthening method on the in-plane seismic performance of URM walls. Four half-scale masonry walls, one of them unreinforced and the remaining three reinforced with ECC, were built and tested under in-plane cyclic loads. From the test results, it was found that the proposed retrofitting method can mitigate brittle diagonal shear damage and improve the integrity of the masonry walls. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that ECC reinforcement effectively increased the seismic behavior of URM walls in terms of shear bearing capacity, ductile behavior, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. The ductility coefficient is defined as the ratio of ultimate displacement to yield displacement. The maximum lateral load and ductility coefficient of the reinforced masonry walls increased by a maximum of 26.08 and 25.77%, respectively, in comparison with the URM wall. Additionally, the lateral bearing capacity of both unreinforced and reinforced specimens was assessed using theoretical models. The results showed that the theoretical model could be used to predict the maximum lateral loads of the specimens, with the error of the calculated and tested maximum lateral loads being within 5%. The hysteresis curves of ECC-reinforced walls were predicted using an idealized trilinear model and a modified Clough model, and the applicability of the hysteresis model was assessed by comparing the force demand history and energy dissipation history of the computed and experimental hysteresis curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In IUFRO experimental plots of 1969–1970, two 'Italian' provenances, I11 and I15, of unknown genetic origins, have consistently exhibited remarkable performance and stability over time and space in previous studies. It was deemed essential to acquire knowledge about the genetic origin area and conduct a genetic characterization of these two Italian provenances for their formal registration. Considering the observed intraspecific genetic variation across the American geographic cline, it was imperative to ensure that the selected provenances adequately represented diverse eco-physiological regions within the species range. To achieve this, most likely American provenances were selected, building upon historical document hypotheses and aiming to cover various geo-climatic areas. Specifically, five coastal variety and three interior variety provenances were chosen, two for each major geo-climatic region. The results obtained, using seven microsatellites, through four genetic structure analysis methods, predominantly attributed I11 to the area around 1080 origin, Washington Cascades region and 1094, Oregon Coast area. Similarly, I15 was primarily attributed to the area around the 1096 provenances, the Oregon Cascades region, compared to other coastal areas it appeared to differ. Among the three interior origins, 1162 from Arizona, Interior South area, exhibited intermediate genetic characteristics between the two varieties, despite its geographical location falling within the range of the interior variety. Similar to our expectations, comparing the distinct characteristics of the origin areas for each Italian provenance, it becomes feasible to complete their certification as 'seed stands' and to plan an appropriate management strategy for the species' diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter from the editor introduces Vol. 26(2) of the Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics. The research in this issue addresses two broad themes: the interpretation of historic buildings, ornamentation and materials, and the construction of complex, curvilinear architectural forms. The methods used in this issue range from archaeological surveys and ballistics studies to computational approaches, such as parametric modelling and machine learning. The common thread connecting the work is how geometric properties, some hidden, others more overt, can be used to create new architectural knowledge and applications. Chronologically, the research topics in this issue span from the more than 2000-year-old tombs of the Nabataean Necropolis to contemporary computer-controlled construction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the onset of conflict in Syria in 2011, several heritage sites have suffered partial or complete destruction. The ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2013, alongside five other Syrian heritage sites. Between 2015 and 2017, Palmyra experienced the loss of nearly 40% of its historic buildings and landmarks. The site's remote location and ongoing armed conflict pose additional challenges in accessing and preserving it. This paper introduces an interactive online platform employing 360° media to document and disseminate information about the world heritage site of Palmyra. The platform contributes to the safeguarding process of Palmyra, facilitating public engagement and interaction with the site. It also has potential applications for other sites in Syria and beyond. The platform allows users to explore both archival and current information of damaged historical monuments and buildings, revealing their layered histories before and after demolition. Employing interactive 360° media, similar to applications like Google Street View, the platform offers a reality-based digital environment. Users can virtually move into different buildings or follow specific pathways within the site, accessing archival information and documentation about particular monuments and buildings along their journey. This project serves as a unique informational resource for decision-makers and policy planners, aiding in the understanding of the site and the development of relevant strategies and recommendations. It also proves beneficial as an educational tool. The collective understanding fostered by this platform is expected to positively influence post-conflict restoration and reconstruction plans, making it an invaluable asset for research and educational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To predict the response of masonry buildings to various types of loads, engineers use finite element models, specifically solid-element and macro-element models. For predicting masonry responses to seismic events in particular, equivalent frame models—a subcategory of macro-element models—are a common choice because of their low computational cost. However, an existing bottleneck in modeling pipelines is generating the geometry of the model, which is currently a slow and laborious process that is done manually using computer-aided design tools. In this paper, we address this by automating the modelling process using recent advancements in computer vision and machine learning. We present an image-based end-to-end pipeline that automatically generates finite element meshes for solid-element and equivalent-frame models of the outer walls of free-standing historical masonry buildings. As the input, our framework requires RGB images of the buildings that are processed using structure-from-motion algorithms, which create 3D geometries, and convolutional neural networks, which segment the openings and their corners. These layers are then combined to generate level of detail models. We tested our pipeline on structures with irregular surface geometries and opening layouts. While generating the solid element mesh from the level of detail model is straightforward, generating equivalent frame models required algorithms for segmenting the façade and the meshing. Experts in the field analyzed the generated equivalent frame models and determined them to be useful for numerical modeling. These finite element geometries will be invaluable for future predictions of the seismic response of damaged and undamaged buildings. The codes and dataset are publicly available for future studies and benchmarking (https://github.com/eesd-epfl/FEM%5fbuildings and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8094306). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model updating procedures based on experimental data are commonly used in case of historic buildings to identify numerical models that are subsequently employed to assess their structural behaviour. The reliability of these models is closely related to their ability to account for all the uncertainties that are involved in the knowledge process. In this regard, to handle these uncertainties and quantify their propagation, Bayesian inference is frequently employed being able to deal with the effects of parameter uncertainty, observation errors and model inadequacy. The computation of the posterior distribution through Bayesian inference needs–however–the evaluation of the likelihood function, which requires solving complex multi-dimensional integration problems. To bridge this shortcoming, the paper compares two Bayesian inference approaches to show how different approximations affect the results of simulated inference: a discrete approach for the likelihood computation in the Bayesian Model Updating (BMU) and a Monte Carlo likelihood-free method known as Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) are reported. As reference, the typology of historic masonry towers was considered by using their natural frequencies as experimental data for model updating. The two procedures provide very similar results supporting the validity of both methods despite ABC turns out to be a more flexible approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brunelleschi's Dome is one of the most iconic symbols of the Renaissance and is among the largest masonry domes ever constructed. Since the late 17th century, first masonry cracks appeared on the Dome, giving the start to a monitoring activity. In modern times, since 1988 a monitoring system comprised of 166 electronic sensors, including deformometers and thermometers, has been in operation, providing a valuable source of real-time data on the monument's health status. With the deformometers taking measurements at least four times per day, a vast amount of data is now available to explore the potential of the latest Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques in the field of historical-architectural heritage conservation. The objective of this contribution is twofold. Firstly, for the first time ever, we aim to unveil the overall structural behaviour of the Dome as a whole, as well as that of its specific sections (known as webs). We achieve this by evaluating the effectiveness of certain dimensionality reduction techniques on the extensive daily detections generated by the monitoring system, while also accounting for fluctuations in temperature over time. Secondly, we estimate a number of recurrent and convolutional neural network models to verify their capability for medium- and long-term prediction of the structural evolution of the Dome. We believe this contribution is an important step forward in the protection and preservation of historical buildings, showing the utility of machine learning in a context in which these are still little used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered canals and waterfront developments as a means to revitalize aging riverfront and coastal areas, dominated until the mid-thirties by industrial buildings and warehouses, have been at the forefront of many American and European cities. Urban revitalization is accomplished after prolonged public participation and has succeeded to transform abandoned areas to healthy public spaces, renovating old warehouses and industrial buildings to apartments with water views, and keeping alive the historical memory of a city. In contrast, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), most of these waterfront developments, such as Al-Qana, a recent project in Abu Dhabi promote forms of modern, spectacular architecture that project a sense of departure from tradition, local culture and architecture. This is also visible in the area around the Dubai canal, which has opted for a modern development on its banks, replacing parts of an existing open park. A project that diverges from such an approach is the two-decades old waterfront project in the city of Sharjah, UAE. Al-Qasba in Sharjah aimed for a more balanced approach, intertwining new architectural forms with hybridized Islamic ornaments. The current article analyzes these three UAE waterfront development projects, focusing on the one in Abu Dhabi. In order to assess the water quality in these engineered canals on the long term we created simulation waterflow models using 2D Finite Element Surface Water Modelling System (FESWMS). Our hydrodynamic modeling results indicate that water velocities in some canals was better than others. Furthermore, on the long-term Al-Qana may require mechanical means in order to maintain healthy waterflow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city centre of Khiva (Uzbekistan), called Itchan Kala, is an architectural complex included in the UNESCO list of tangible cultural heritage. One of the historic buildings in it is the Juma Mosque. It has a simple rectangular structure, but is very large and has 213 deeply carved wooden columns supporting the roof. The article presents the process, problems, and their solutions resulting from the implementation of 3D laser scanning of such highly detailed and geometrically complex historical architectural objects in the conditions of normal tourist traffic. The optimisation of scanning positions, scanning in situ implementation, as well as the processing of the acquired data and the construction of a 3D mesh model of the mosque interior are presented. It is pointed out that scanning such objects with high accuracy and density of measurement points causes major technical problems related to the workload, and the huge volume of data acquired and processed. The possibilities of making the 3D model available in digital space for the purpose of researching the appearance and geometry of the mosque, its individual columns, as well as popularising the monument are also discussed. It is highly probable that the scanning of the Juma Mosque's interior presented here was carried out for the first time in history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A historic building is typically defined as a structure that possesses historical significance, meaning that it maintains a tangible connection to past events, thereby establishing a meaningful link between contemporary individuals and historical occurrences. The primary objective of this article is to investigate and analyze the most exceptional historical site worldwide for a visit. Our research provides a strategy framework to evaluate and select the best historical site worldwide to meet the visiting needs of individuals. The 2-tuple linguistic q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (2TLq-ROFS) is a novel type of fuzzy set that can provide decision makers more flexibility to express their preferences. In order to cope with multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems, the 2TLq-ROF aggregation operators are efficient in merging the individual preferences of the decision makers into a collective one. We combine the merits of the power average (PA) and the power geometric (PJ) operators with the Heronian mean (HM) operator to build some new aggregation operators by taking into account the impact of extreme data on decision outcomes. Using the proposed aggregation operators, we also develop an innovative MAGDM approach for aggregating the 2TLq-ROF information. Finally, an illustrative example for the selection of the best historical site worldwide is used to demonstrate the applicability of the established methodology. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach are demonstrated through parameter analysis of parameters q, κ , and ε , and further comparative analysis with existing aggregation operators is done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preservation and the safety of historic centers is certainly related to a large-scale assessment of the seismic vulnerability of their buildings. In this regard, fragility curves represent one of the most effective and widely used tools. Different methods, based on empirical, analytical and hybrid approaches, can be employed for deriving the fragility curves. Regarding the analytical-based fragility curves, their reliability is strongly influenced by the knowledge of the typological and structural features of the buildings, including constructive details, as well as by the evaluation of the seismic input, as evidenced in recent studies. This paper proposes an approach for evaluating the fragility curves of URM buildings towards OOP failure modes. The focus on OOP failure modes relies on the fact that in the past and more recent seismic events, most ordinary UnReinforced Masonry (URM) buildings in historic centres have shown to be particularly vulnerable to Out-Of-Plane (OOP) failure modes. The proposed approach combines the knowledge process concerning the typological and structural features of the buildings, with the analytical derivation of the fragility curves throughout an integrated multistep approach. In addition, the study also investigates the influence of the seismic input. The approach is discussed in detail in the first part of the paper and, in the second part of the paper, it is applied to the building stock of an Italian historic centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural heritage inventory is an alternate tool to document historic buildings to establish a protected enlistment process. Recognising the importance of inventories for developing knowledge of historical and cultural patterns, multiple attempts are being made to record Karachi's historic buildings in the form of inventory documents. This research investigates the various approaches used for inventorying Karachi's cultural heritage and their potential impact on the survival of the city's historical ensemble. As literature, this research provides a brief overview of Karachi's architectural development before and after its annexation to the British Raj (Term used by scholars to represent the British Crown in India. The term 'The Raj' is also sometimes used.) (1843–1947), which is now considered the historic core of the city of Karachi, together with the systems of inventorying the built heritage over time. Wadhumal Odharam (Jail) Quarter is shortlisted as a case study for this research, which will be examined from the perspective of inventory making in relation to its specific physical and sociocultural context as documented through the inventorying process. The Quarter is also referred to as 'Jail Quarter' because of the presence of the Jail building within the Quarter precinct, which was demolished during the British era; it is discussed in further detail later in this article. The research approach follows a survey of the quarter conducted between August and September 2022, followed by a mapping of the historic properties. The inventory mapping of the Quarter is performed by using an available database (Database of various historic Quarters of Karachi by Heritage Cell-DAPNED). The data for inventory also helps provide an understanding of the history and development of the area. The other aspects of the research methodology include intreating questions and collecting data about various aspects of the Quarter, such as the building information, photographic documentation of the properties, and analysis of the present conservation status based on inventory mapping. Moreover, this study also suggests that inventorying aided the enlistment process for the Quarter under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act 1994 (SCHPA), which was first implemented in 1997 and again in 2011 until 2021. The protected status helped stop the illicit demolitions; however, vandalism continued in many forms, for instance, the need-based alterations relying on the ever-increasing population, upgradation of the building bylaws, inadequate heritage legislation and its enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, a substantial body of research exploring soundscapes in religious historical buildings has emerged, yet a comprehensive summary of this work is lacking. This paper selects 74 typical studies of soundscapes in religious historical buildings published between 2011 and 2022 to conduct quantitative statistics and visualization analysis from a bibliometric perspective. The selected literature is categorized based on the type of religious building, Christian, Islamic, or Buddhist. The literature is further segmented according to the research subject, including sound field studies, sound analyses, and evaluations of the acoustic environment. The research methods employed are also differentiated and include sound field measurements, acoustic simulations, questionnaires and auralization procedures. The analysis reveals pronounced disparities in research foci depending on the type of religious historical building. For instance, studies on the soundscape in Christian churches tend to focus on objective sound field attributes and frequently employ sound field simulations to analyse the acoustic parameters of diverse church spaces and materials. Conversely, research on the soundscape in Islamic mosques prioritizes speech intelligibility and acoustic comfort, while studies of the soundscape of Buddhist temples gravitate towards the impact of natural and religious sounds on individuals. This paper anticipates the future direction of soundscape research on religious historical buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the effects of local sites and hazard amplification on the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing masonry buildings. In this context, a rapid seismic evaluation procedure was implemented on an old masonry building stock in the historical center Galata, located in Istanbul, to determine the seismic risk priority of the built heritage. Damage scenarios were generated for all soil classes, different moment magnitudes, and source-to-site distances to obtain more accurate results for the seismic vulnerability assessment of the studied building stock. Consequently, damage distributions estimated under nine different scenarios with/without site effects were compared and illustrated in maps to discuss changes in vulnerability owing to amplification effects. In this study, by re-examining the rapid seismic evaluation procedure by including geo-hazard-based assessment, the importance of site effects on the vulnerability and risk assessment of built heritage was underlined. The proposed framework integrating field data and local site effects is believed to advance the current applications for vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings and provide an improvement in the application of rapid seismic assessment procedures with more reliable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes are a major cause of damage and human losses to the built environment, including cultural heritages, monumental buildings and historical centers. In the last decades, the seismic performance of buildings has received special attention due to the interest in the built heritage conservation and protection of human life, particularly with respect to masonry structures which have shown evidence of poor behavior once subjected to seismic loads. The present work contributes to the seismic safety assessment of the out-of-plane behavior of unreinforced masonry walls through a displacement-based approach, providing the capacity for different out-of-plane geometric indexes and its seismic response in different earthquake-prone regions. The analyses are conducted using a seismic probabilistic framework, considering the most common out-of-plane mechanisms, different material properties, various slenderness ratios, and a wide range of seismicity levels to cover the seismic hazard in Europe. The results presented can be useful for seismic safety assessment and to incorporate vulnerability models for seismic risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seville is intimately linked to its historic role and extensive cultural heritage. The city has been occupied by Romans, Arabs and Christians, who built important historical buildings. Roman (first–second centuries) and Arabic (eleventh century) buildings, medieval Shipyard (thirteenth century), San Isidoro and Santa Maria de las Cuevas monasteries (fifteenth century), Santa María de las Cuevas (fifteenth century modified in eighteenth century), El Salvador Church (eighteenth century), the Royal Ordnance building (eighteenth century) and Santa Angela de la Cruz convent (twentieth century) performed with lining mortars, and mortars used in building stones (City Hall and Marchena Gate), all of them located in Seville (Spain), have been studied. Ninety-four mortar samples (employed as structural, plaster, coating) originally used or applied in restoration processes have been collected to perform an archaeometry study. The ratio of CO2 mass loss to hydraulic water (H2O) mass loss, and the mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction has been used to compare the mortars used in the different historical periods. Mainly hydraulic mortars were widely used in all these studied monuments as most mortars showed CO2/H2O ratios within the 4–10 range. Moreover, the thermal analysis curves also showed a broad temperature range for the thermal decomposition of the carbonate fraction of the mortars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major present challenges in the building sector is to construct sustainable and low-energy buildings with a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment. This study is designed to explore long-term impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters in a historic technical school building on the health and comfort of students. The main objective is to identify environmental problems in schools and to direct public policy towards the enhancement of in-service historic buildings. The collected data on five consecutive days in various seasons from five different classrooms indicate allergy in 45% and asthma in 10% of students. Environmental factors, such as temperature, draught, noise, or light, affected 51% of students' attention. Low temperature, unpleasant air, noise, and draught were found to be the most frequent concerns for students. The lowest temperature was measured during spring at 17.6 °C, the lowest humidity of 21.1% in winter, the largest CO2 amount in the air in autumn at 2041 ppm level, and the greatest total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) as 514 µg/m3. The experimental and statistical analysis results suggest the necessity of a comprehensive restoration of the building with a focus on enhancement of IEQ as well as replacement of old non-standard materials. An effective ventilation system is also necessary. The building requires major renovations to preserve its historic features while safeguarding the well-being and comfort of students and staff. Further research is needed on acoustics, lighting, and energy factors as well as the health effects of old building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring and protection of historic buildings require a highly professional team and material resources. Monitoring and protecting historical architectural features is an urgent issue. According to the theory of biological gene expression, genes are the fundamental units that control and express biological traits. Similarly, the "genes" of historical architecture are the basic units that control historic features. Identifying these historical architecture "genes" involves identifying the main factors that control the historic features. This process is important for monitoring and protecting the historic features. At present, qualitative subjectivity, difficult quantification, poor recognition accuracy, and low reasoning and recognition efficiency exist in the genetic identification of historic buildings. As an example, this article describes Chinese Baroque architecture in Harbin, China, and draws on the principles of biological gene recognition to reference methods of architectural gene recognition in cultural geography and architecture. Improved U-Net models, traditional U-Net models, FCN models, and EfficientNet models that incorporate channel attention mechanisms are used to identify historic building genes, obtaining the optimal intelligent recognition for historical architectural genes based on deep learning. This research shows that the accuracy of an improved U-Net model incorporating a channel attention mechanism is 69%, which is 4%, 7%, and 1% higher than those of the traditional U-Net, FCN, and EfficientNet, respectively. The F1 score of the improved U-Net model reaches 0.654, which is higher than the 0.619 of the traditional U-Net model, 0.645 of the EfficientNet model, and 0.501 of the FCN model. Therefore, the improved U-Net model is the optimal method for identifying historical architecture genes. This research can provide new tools and methods for identifying historical architectural genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure the sustainability of cultural, historical and architectural heritage, preserving and restoring historical buildings and transferring them to future generations is one of the important issues of today. Restoration decisions regarding the repairs of historical buildings are of great importance in this context. Developing correct intervention decisions requires the thorough analysis of the structure, the determination of the structural and material properties meticulously, and the use the most appropriate materials for repairing it. However, only physical and chemical analyses are not sufficient to determine material properties of historical buildings; therefore, archaeometric analyses are needed to determine them more appropriately. In this study, it is aimed to determine the components and characteristics of the filling mortars of Oshki (Öşvank) Church, one of the most magnificent structures of the Eastern Anatolia region, in order to preserve the masonry structure and guide the restoration studies in the light of archaeometric analyses. The raw material properties of the samples taken from the filling mortars of the church were determined by the physical, chemical and petrographic analyses. As a result of the analyses, the aggregate-binding properties of Oshki Church filler mortars were determined. It was revealed that the aggregate content was determined as petrographic, lime was used as a binder and all samples contained pozzolan whereas no cement was used in any of the samples, and the samples did not contain marble rice/powder and organic additives like oil, protein etc. It has also been observed that the aggregate in the mortar content is compatible with the geological formations of near surrounding of the church. In this context, this study emphasizes the importance of archaeometric analysis in restoration of historical buildings. Moreover, differing from other studies in the literature, this study proposes mortar recipe to be used in the restoration of the church, which can pioneer to future studies in the field of architectural restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there are few fire risk assessment models for historical buildings with wooden components that are highly vulnerable to fires. Bayesian network (BN) is a practical risk assessment method that is helpful to risk management. Because many indicators affect the fire risk of historical buildings, the BN may have many nodes and a complex structure. As the parent nodes increase, the number of conditional probability distributions required to determine the child node's conditional probability table (CPT) grows exponentially. Therefore, a combined method is proposed to reduce the complexity of determining CPTs by integrating various methods, including historical data collection, expert knowledge, logical relationships, and empirical formulas. Based on the proposed combined method, combining fire protection codes and provisions in China, a BN-based fire risk assessment model is presented for historical buildings, which integrates static indicators, such as building parameters and cultural significance, and dynamic indicators, such as environmental factors. In the model, the variable weight synthesis theory is introduced to automatically adjust the nodes' relative importance (weights) to improve the rationality of the BN for the special scenarios and the unconventional emergency scenarios. The proposed BN model can reflect the fire development and spread trend, assess the fire risk of historical buildings, analyze key factors, and propose fire improvement measures. Taking Nanyue Temple as a case study, based on the collected field data, the assessment results have demonstrated and verified the proposed model and method are feasible. The sensitivity analysis results have verified the rationality of the method and identified the key factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The port of Callao is important for its varied historical and archaeological heritage, which includes several military buildings that were the main actors and witnesses of the colonial era of Peru (from the 16th century to the country's independence from Spain early in the 19th century). Despite the studies that have been carried out on the basis of documents and some eventual archaeological excavations, the port's main monument, namely, the Real Felipe Fortress, continues to hide very important information that could be used to understand the role that the fortress played in numerous historical events throughout the centuries. The main contribution of this study is the use of photogrammetry software and a Geographic Information System (GIS) to examine the Real Felipe Fortress. In this way, the nature of the atypical construction within the fortress is determined. As a result, it is possible to accurately establish the location of the defensive wall that surrounded the ancient city of Callao, as well as its first churches, whose records were lost after being destroyed by the 1746 earthquake and tsunami in Lima, the worst cataclysm registered in the history of Peru and South America. As a result, this study demonstrates that technology can be successfully used to establish and validate with great precision the existence of the location of churches that have been built in the port of Callao since the founding of Lima in the 16th century. Such identification allows architects, engineers and students who are interested in the history of monuments to discover hidden structures and buildings and carry out the necessary restoration and archaeological works, with the aim of recovering the history of the colonial architecture of Callao and other similar cities and ports worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to assess geoenvironmental risks and identify the primary deterioration drivers in ancient buildings in Najran City, utilizing various analytical tools to help make informed judgments. The samples extruded from historical buildings were examined using field inspection, experimental data, SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses, in addition to lab and field observations and meteorological data. The dissolution of clay minerals and salt crystallization are the key contributors to the degradation and cracking of historical buildings in Najran City, according to lab and field observations. When the daytime high temperature surpasses 44 °C, wind erosion and humidity might cause continuous wetting–drying cycles on the investigated building surfaces. Test results indicated that the average unconfined compressive strength of the extruded earthen wall samples was 2 MPa and the water absorption was within the upper allowed limit (i.e., 15%). A finite element model of a typical earthen historical building was developed using PLAXIS 3D software to assess the behavior and nonlinear response of the silty sand soil layer underlying the building and the earthen historical buildings themselves using a plastic material model. The field observations confirm the results of the simulation, which clearly explained the failure mechanism. The integrated geotechnical and numerical simulations could provide insights for assessing geoenvironmental risks, identify the primary deterioration drivers in ancient buildings, and provide an understanding of material qualities and failure causes not only in the studied area but in other similar regions elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destruction caused by excessive moisture is a common problem in heritage buildings made of brick. Historic buildings usually have walls that of different constructions, i.e. walls with all joints filled, walls without filled vertical joints, and walls with a layered arrangement. Excessive moisture causes brick cavities, reduces the load-bearing capacity of walls, is unsightly, and can lead to the destruction of walls or the failure of a building. Secondary anti-damp insulation is used to protect the brick walls of historic buildings. However, there has not been enough research to confirm the effectiveness of secondary anti-damp insulation. This type of insulation is performed with the use of the injection method, with various factors (such as soils, the type of injection material, etc.) that affect the effectiveness of the insulation being taken into account. There is also insufficient research on how injection material penetrates brick. This article presents the current state of knowledge, research gaps, and research regarding anti-damp insulation in historic buildings made of brick, and also the perspectives of future research. The authors propose the use of non-destructive and destructive methods to assess the effectiveness of anti-damp insulation in brick walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cappadocia in Turkey is an important region with emphasis on ethnic and historic structures and geological features. Because of volcanic eruptions, ash flow materials deposited at different levels. These different colored ignimbrite levels have a wide range of geomechanical properties. In the region, the Kızılkaya ignimbrite covers a very large area and is frequently used as building dimension stone in for the restoration of old historical buildings such as churches, caravansaries and mosques as well as new buildings. It contains tuffaceous matrix with some minerals and rock fragments. The rock has variable character. In this study, the relationship between petrographic and physico-mechanical properties of the Kızılkaya ignimbrite was investigated. Rate of change between uniaxial compressive strength and the other index properties of the rock was statistically examined utilizing multiple regression analysis (MRA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods. The study has shown that uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the ignimbrite can be successfully estimated by the use of dry unit weight, effective porosity, sonic velocity, and grain matrix ratio (GMR) parameters. A new UCS prediction equation is proposed in this paper for the ignimbrite with variable character. Since properties of the ignimbrite at different distances from the eruption area changes significantly, the approach presented in this study can be considered for the ignimbrites especially covering a large area with different welding degrees and grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in archeological research extend diverse technological methods for the geometric deciphering and cultural understanding of various historical building components. One of the emerging methods in this field is the development of generative algorithms to develop computational models for the comparative study of variation among different structures belonging to a common era, style, or region. In this study, we present a novel approach for the computational analysis and parametric modeling of muqarnas found among Anatolian Seljuk architecture in Kayseri and Sivas built in the 13th century. Using four different octagonal muqarnas structures, we outline common generative rules showing recursive stacking of geometric layers, fractal patterns and hierarchical branching of the axis of symmetry. A recursive algorithm is developed that can offer a generative study of muqarnas structures using proportions based on the 'silver ratio.' The development of the algorithm is presented through rules and variations that can offer a novel perspective for the geometric understanding and categorization of muqarnas in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southeast Tunisian cave dwellings of Matmata are a well-known historical model which amazingly adapt with cultural, environmental and climatic features of its surrounding. Many studies have discussed the sustainability of these dwellings but none has thoroughly discussed its performance on light of health and wellbeing of its dwellers. The WELLV1 rating system, established in 2016, is a first of a kind certification system that solely focus on the health performance of the built environment. It gives credit to designs that enhance and promote physical and psychological health of the users. The study examines the health performance of Matmata cave dwellings in the light of WELLV1 recommendations and features. The study revealed that these subterranean historical dwellings have proven good performance in relation to daylight saturation, indoor thermal relief, solar glare control, physical activity enhancement, exterior noise reduction, biophilic design and cultural enrichment. On the other hand, they lack sufficient performance in relation to air purification, social interaction, clean water supply, and altruism encouragement. Considering the scientific background, materials and technologies available for those who designed and built these dwellings, the health-related performance of their work seems unique and impressive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting moisture tests of brick walls in buildings under conservation protection is associated with many difficulties that result from the inability to freely interfere with historic tissue. The current paradigm of conducting such research, which assumes the use of just one non-destructive method, has many limitations that affect the accuracy of obtained results. Up-to-date research concerning an alternative non-invasive method, which allows reliable test results to be obtained in the case of the quantitative assessment of the moisture content of saline brick walls in historic buildings, has shown that it is possible to reliably assess such a moisture content using machine learning and two complementary non-destructive methods. In the article, the original methodology of such a quantitative assessment is described and presented in the form of block diagrams. The methodology consists of two stages. The first stage includes carrying out experimental and archival research in selected historical buildings to create a data set. The second stage involves generating a machine learning model for assessing the moisture content based on algorithms and the data collected in the first stage. The article is illustrated with an example of the application of the developed methodology to assess the moisture content of the brick walls of the Golden Gate building in Gdańsk. The presented example shows the reliability and practical usefulness of the developed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of the seismic behaviour of historic residential buildings and the estimation of their possible losses in the event of an earthquake, is a must for defining strategic mitigation plans to prevent irreplaceable heritage losses. In this study an integrated performance based probabilistic risk assessment methodology is developed. An archival study and a field survey allow to identify architectural and construction characteristics of heritage residential buildings in urban areas and determine realistic structural models. These are analysed by using a limit state approach, coded in the FaMIVE method, considering different construction hypotheses, to produce capacity curves which support the identification of a discrete number of typologies representative of the entire building stock in the area. Their fragility functions are then derived using the modified N2 method. Because of the difficulty in quantifying the expected probable losses in purely economic terms, given the heritage value of these assets, losses are computed in terms of damaged floor surface area and mean damage ratio. These have been obtained through the earthquake loss estimation platform SELENA, considering different possible seismic scenarios. The procedure is applied to masonry residential buildings in Pla del Remei area of Valencia, Spain, built between the end of the 19th Century and the end of the Spanish War (1939). This neighbourhood embodies the cultural values, construction techniques and historic legacy of a new and brief era of modernity, inspired by the new urban theories and architectural styles of Eclecticism and Modernism. Despite Valencia being located in an area of low to moderate seismicity, the results show that the maximum percentage of built damaged area ranges from 5.8 to 11.6% for 475 years return period, increasing to 33.59–51.59% for 975 years return period. The high level of resolution of the study allows mapping and identifying the structures at higher risk and is therefore a valuable tool to support sensitive and targeted retrofitting policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple benefits of green roofs (GRs) for people and biodiversity conservation in a highly urbanized area are widely confirmed, however, how to identify the right building roofs in a built-up city from the perspective of socio-ecological demands to apply greening is still lacking. In this paper, with the support of the LiDAR 3D point clouds, high-resolution satellite image and socio-economic data, we proposed a systematic approach to identify and prioritize the building roofs for greening by integrating the roof physical structure attributes and socio-ecological demands on the GRs. The suitable buildings for roof greening in the central city of Nanjing, China were first specified on account of the building age and physical structure attributes e.g. height and roof slope, and the other-limited attributes e.g. protected area for historical and cultural heritage, and then a comprehensive framework for assessing roof greening priority was proposed by integrating the building attributes and the socio-ecological demands. The results showed that the total potential suitable area for roof greening is 2879.62hm2, which accounts for 46.60% of all building roofs. The order of priority installing green roofs is spatial heterogeneous, and the area of high-priority level to install GRs is 629.93hm2. These results can be used to guide and promote the construction of green roofs in Nanjing, and the developed comprehensive framework to identify the building roofs for greening is also broadly applicable and can be used for other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) is a key indicator of the mechanical properties of a rock, particularly in the diagnostic and restoration phases when stones are employed as construction material. In historical buildings, it is important to determine UCS values without utilizing tests that involve destructive rock sampling. To estimate UCS, non-destructive techniques, such as ultrasonic pulse velocity (Vp) and Schmidt hammer tests (R), can be combined to provide a useful tool. However, for architectural elements with complex morphology, it is sometimes impossible to perform both ultrasonic and sclerometric test. Three different UCS predictive models, one using R only, one using Vp and one using both, have been developed through regression techniques on a dataset comprising 45 Pietra Serena sandstone samples with varying levels of decay. The models were tested for their performance through Cross-Validation techniques and were then applied to a dataset of Vp and R values measured in situ on Pietra Serena corbels of balconies belonging to historical buildings in Florence (Italy). The specific predictive models were applied to real case studies, and the UCS of the rocks used in historical buildings was calculated, enabling the definition of the mechanical characteristics of building elements belonging to an important cultural context, Florentine historical architecture, without using destructive testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage buildings are considered a source of pride for countries, and their preservation is an important pursuit. Different techniques have been adopted in this regard, and many review papers have addressed them either qualitatively or quantitatively through bibliometric analysis. Nevertheless, none of these review studies conducted a general dynamic quantitative analysis of the vast amount of scientific literature about heritage buildings preservation (HBP) research domain over time. Therefore, the current study performs a bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature considering a time of two decades (2002–2022). A total of 863 peer-reviewed journal articles were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database. A five-step methodology was followed employing VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Biblioshiny as the bibliometric software tools. The main findings revealed the annual publication trends and the most prominent articles. It was also found that 60% of the literature publications were published in journals, and only 2.4% corresponded to review studies. The scientific collaboration networks showed the most prolific researchers and countries. Further, the citation analysis of journals identified the most reliable information sources for academic researchers. Finally, the conceptual and intellectual knowledge structures were visualised and studied via science mapping analysis to map the research domain evolution and determine its trending patterns and promising areas for future exploration. The conducted review provides fellow researchers with a systematic summarised database to be familiarized with the HBP literature and identify potential research opportunities to conduct state-of-the-art research with the top contributors in the field (researchers, journals, and countries). In addition, policymakers can utilize the results from this research to find expert authors and academic support to facilitate forming partnerships to plan and fund relevant research and address the practical implications of preserving valuable heritage buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic wooden buildings located outdoors are exposed to natural weathering conditions for extended periods of time, causing deterioration of wood properties by sunlight, oxygen, and other environmental factors. Current diagnostic procedures are limited to macroscopic inspection. In this interdisciplinary study, several aged samples from Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (ca. 1056 AD) were analyzed. Their micro-morphology and changes in chemical composition were investigated using less invasive multi-chemical techniques. The aim is to elucidate the oxidative degradation and its deterioration mechanism of the wood, which is essential in identifying the key factors responsible for natural weathering and devising strategies to counteract the surface deterioration. All aged wood samples had varying degrees of decay and lignin content was decreased in most of them. The high ratio of oxygen/carbon elements evidenced the occurrence of chemical reactions. In particular, the increasing ratio of oxygenated carbon/unoxygenated carbon indicates potential oxidation reactions. Overall, for the aged wood of historic wood building under warm-dry natural conditions, their deterioration occurred through the oxidative degradation of lignin. These unique results are useful in developing effective repair and restoration measures to conserve wooden components in historic buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous Build Outcome Prediction (CBOP) is a lightweight implementation of Continuous Defect Prediction (CDP). CBOP combines: 1) results of continuous integration (CI) and 2) the data mined from the version control system with 3) machine learning (ML) to form a practice that evolved from software defect prediction (SDP) where a failing build is treated as a defect to fight against. Here, we explain the CBOP idea, where we use historical build results together with metrics derived from a software repository to create a model that classifies changes the developer is introducing to the source code during her work in a just-in-time manner. To evaluate the CBOP idea, we perform a small-n repeated measure with two conditions and replicate experiment in a real-life, business-driven software project. In this preliminary evaluation of CBOP, we study whether the practice will reduce the Failed Build Ratio (FBR) - the ratio of failing build results to all other build results. We calculate effect size and p-value of change in FBR while using the CBOP practice, provide an analysis of our model, and perform and report the results of a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-inspired survey that we conducted among experiment participants and industry specialists to assess the acceptance of CBOP and the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive reuse of architectural heritage is the basis of embodying its core value, bringing new life to heritage architecture, and is an important way to integrate it into contemporary development. In many current studies, the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage focuses on the research framework of adaptive reuse and the most effective method for adaptive reuse of a certain building. In the whole process, the post evaluation strategy of adaptive reuse based on specific cultural background is ignored, and the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings is a dynamic process. Therefore, this study takes 9 heritage sites along the central axis of Beijing (including three types of single buildings, architectural complexes, and historical and cultural district) as examples. The 25 factors affecting the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage are extracted by the literature retrieval method, and are divided into three categories according to the content: existing fabric, spatial character and policy and value. Then the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation are used to calculate the factors of 9 heritage sites in matrix, and finally obtain the reuse score of each heritage site. The results show that Meridian Gate has the highest comprehensive score for reuse in single buildings, the Forbidden City has the highest score for reuse in building complex, and Qianmen Street has the highest score in historical and cultural district. This study provides post-evaluation methods and strategies for the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage. Finally, a post-evaluation framework for the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage is formed. Finally, a post-evaluation framework for the reuse of architectural heritage against a specific cultural background has been formed. In the future, the status of the reuse of architectural heritage can be evaluated to maintain its proper authenticity, integrity and sustainability at any time. It can also guide the relevant decision-making before the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage and the optimization process after the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By integrating the vulnerability index of buildings, earthquake disaster matrix, and historical earthquake disaster data, the vulnerability of typical buildings and compounds in rural areas of China are analyzed. The disaster matrix of buildings in historical earthquakes was obtained by analyzing historical earthquake disaster data. By integrating the historical disaster matrix and vulnerability analysis of typical structures in rural areas, a seismic disaster matrix was established to assess the seismic performance of regional compounds. Combined with the historical earthquake disaster matrix and vulnerability index, the lognormal distribution function was used to analyze the vulnerability index of regional structures and compounds to obtain the disaster matrix of structures under different seismic intensities. Considering the structures and compounds in the rural areas in the Tianjin district as an example, the seismic vulnerability of typical structures was investigated. The regional structure disaster matrix of the study region was established and the vulnerability indices of different types of structures and compounds were obtained to clarify the regional disaster prevention ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of the St. Adalbert Church in Gdansk dates to 1310. It is a church of rich history and great historical value, and its care is challenging. In this study, the combination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was used to accurately build a 3D model of the church. Together with the collected historical inventory documentation, the historic building information model (HBIM) was generated. The Autodesk-Revit® tool was used for this purpose. On the basis of the generated model, the reflection properties of the laser scanner beam and red–green–blue (RGB) images, a methodology was proposed for analysing the degradation of the church's components. The main hypothesis of this study is based on the analysis of sunlight outside the church. In addition to the importance of the method for determining the risks of church degradation, a high-quality method for model visualization combining two photogrammetric techniques (TLS + UAV) is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European building stock consists of a large number of unreinforced masonry structures. Masonry structures proved themselves to be fragile if subjected to horizontal loads, particularly out-of-plane. The complexity of existing structures during an earthquake increases if they are arranged in aggregates. This research deals with the definition of vulnerability and fragility curves for Croatian existing masonry buildings in aggregates. The curves were derived following the European macroseismic scale (EMS–98). The adopted case study includes three aggregates located in Lower Town in Zagreb, Croatia. The capital of Croatia was hit by a series of earthquakes in March 2020. Until these recent earthquakes, the damage database from previous earthquakes was non-existent. The structural vulnerability was mainly assessed by analytical methods, which were not a proper solution for identifying the seismic risk on a larger scale, ultimately at the state level. The database from this earthquake series enabled the application, validation and calibration of empirical methods. The macroseismic index-based method was applied and based on the observed damage, new formulations to assess the vulnerability are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]