3D HBIM Model and Full Contactless GPR Tomography: An Experimental Application on the Historic Walls That Support Giotto’s Mural Paintings, Santa Croce Basilica, Florence—Italy

Abstract

GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) is a technology widely applied today in the field of non-destructive investigations. From its first applications, the field of use has involved environmental and archaeological contexts and, only recently, non-destructive investigations for the diagnostics of existing buildings, including historical ones. In the latter, the GPR is, in particular, addressed to the NDT diagnostics of walls, which often support paintings of considerable value. In this study, GPR technology was used to investigate the walls of the Bardi Chapel in the Santa Croce Basilica in Florence, which features Giotto’s frescoes. The GPR acquisition was performed with a three-antenna module that, through multiple scans, allowed to reconstruct the full 3D tomography of the three main walls of the chapel. The development of a customized system made it possible to extend the investigation area to almost the entire wall and to avoid contact between the instrument and the wall paint, thus safeguarding its integrity. The collected data, once inserted in a unified framework of the HBIM model, geo-referenced, and equipped with the information content, allowed us to evaluate the masonry structure and to generate masonry data for subsequent seismic vulnerability assessments.

Current progress on murals: distribution, conservation and utilization

“…Optical Coherence Tomography, digital holography, and Terahertz imaging can reveal the structure information and 3D mapping of the multi-layers of murals [ 73 ]. The ground penetrating radar can also be used to reveal the different layers of frescos and thus providing valuable information for 3D heritage/historic building information models [ 92 , 93 ]. Among these techniques, the Terahertz waves can penetrate opaque materials and thus have great potential for the analysis of mural paintings in a non-invasive manner [ 88 ].…”

An HBIM Integrated Approach Using Non-Destructive Techniques (NDT) to Support Energy and Environmental Improvement of Built Heritage: The Case Study of Palazzo Maffei Borghese in Rome

“…Finally, researchers have focused their attention on specific aspects of the study of historical buildings, such as wall stratigraphy, the conservation of wooden floors or the supporting walls of paintings and mosaics [74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81].…”

Integrated Building Modelling Using Geomatics and GPR Techniques for Cultural Heritage Preservation: A Case Study of the Charles V Pavilion in Seville (Spain)

“…In the pursuit of preserving this architectural gem, we turn to the integration of Geomatics and ground penetrating-radar (GPR) techniques [ 4 , 5 , 6 ] and Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) techniques [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. These methodologies separately provide useful results, but in conjunction [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] serve as indispensable tools for comprehensive documentation, providing meticulous insights into the Pavilion’s structural composition, materials, historical horizons [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and ornamental intricacies. As we dig into safeguarding its physical integrity, integrating these techniques not only helps with a detailed structural evaluation [ 17 , 18 , 19 ] but also establishes a strong foundation for historical and archaeological research, enabling a deeper understanding of the pavilion’s evolution over time [ 5 , 8 , 9 ].…”