Analysis of preservation priority of historic buildings along the subway based on matter-element model.

• A matter-element (ME) model to assess priority of historic building is developed. • 10 indicators have been found to be critical to assess the preservation priority. • Different indicators can be comprehensive analyzed with a normalization procedure. • Detailed comparisons between ME and other evaluation methods are provided. The preservation of historic buildings is an important research area in the preservation of cultural heritage. In recent years, the rapid development of urban rail transit in the historic city has had a great impact on the safety of many surrounding historic buildings. How to determine the preservation priority of historic buildings quickly and accurately is of great significance to the rational allocation of conservation resources. Based upon the matter-element theory, this paper developed the prioritization model of historic building reservation. First, this study established an evaluation system involving ten individual indicators among two categories related to historic building and subway construction. Second, the criteria for each indicator is set up according to the individual priority levels, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has been applied for indicator weight setting. Finally, this model was applied to a case study to evaluate 11 historic buildings along Tianjin Metro Line 7. The similarities and differences between this model and the traditional Single Indicator method and the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method are discussed to test and verify the feasibility of the proposed model. This study provides decision support for future heritage impact assessment along the subway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]