A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Vulnerability Assessment of a Venetian Historic Palace: High Water Phenomena and Climate Change Effects

Abstract

This paper illustrates a multidisciplinary approach aimed at the vulnerability assessment of historic masonry heritage in Venice, focusing on questions of method and practice, which specifically involve the disciplines of restoration, building archaeology and structural engineering. Taking into account the existing standards for the management and assessment of cultural heritage, an integrated methodology is proposed for analyzing and interpreting historic constructions. Particular reference is made to Venetian scenery and its relationship with water, from the worldwide known high tide phenomena to the new perspectives offered by MOSE (i.e., Experimental Electromechanical Module, a system of a series of retractable mobile gates) and the new challenges due to climate change. Within such an approach, the different disciplines, including the building archeology, contribute to obtaining an interpretative model for historic buildings subjected to the high tide phenomena, with the aim of performing a vulnerability assessment and to design possible restoration interventions. The proposed methodology is applied to the case study of a Venetian historic palace facing the Grand Canal. For this palace, all the steps of the knowledge path have been carried out, from historical study to geometrical, Material-Constructive Survey, Crack Pattern and Degradation Analysis to stratigraphic analysis. The interpretative model obtained at the end of this path is enriched with the results of preliminary numerical analyses that investigate, in greater depth, the effects of high water phenomena on the rising damp front in masonry walls. Some previsions on the effects of MOSE activation and of climatic change, in particular in terms of sea-level rise, are presented.

Research Hotspots and Future Trends in Canal-Related Industrial Buildings

“…Among the top ten institutions, the University of Bologna and the University of Padua are located in northern Italy, with a total of five published papers. Their research revolves around the Milan artificial waterway and research related to the Venice Canal [32][33][34]. The four Chinese institutions collectively published nine articles, all focusing on research topics related to the Grand Canal of China and industrial buildings.…”

“…In specific canal studies, "The Grand Canal" is a key research focus, mainly referring to the Grand Canal in China in the literature, with one article referring to the Grand Canal in Venice [33]. As one of the most important transportation channels in Chinese history, China's Grand Canal possesses abundant industrial heritage resources and cultural heritage.…”

“…Secondly, rising temperatures leading to sea-level rise have drawn attention to the resilience and adaptability of historical buildings in responding to climate change. For example, rising sea levels may increase the vulnerability of industrial buildings around canals, making protection and restoration work more urgent and critical [33]. These studies highlight academia's current focus on the impact of environmental changes on buildings and heritage.…”

“…(2) Exploration of Architectural Technology and Risk Assessment: In-depth exploration of architectural technical features and risk assessment is crucial for the preservation of industrial buildings [33]. Future research can integrate new restoration techniques, explore the development of more environmentally friendly materials to address evolving environmental challenges, and better showcase the technical value of buildings to ensure the sustainable development of industrial buildings and heritage related to canals [101].…”

Urban Scale Monitoring Approach for the Assessment of Rising Damp Effects in Venice

“…The recrudescence of high water due to city subsidence and marine eustatism, in relation also to global climate change, further raises concerns about the impact of rising damp on Venetian buildings [14][15][16][17]. Despite many studies on possible future scenarios on rising sea levels and flooding risks in terms of socio-economic relevance, a comprehensive risk assessment focused on seawater and its impacts on historical architectural surfaces still needs to be defined for Venice at an urban scale [11,12,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. The impact and extension of rising damp on Venetian buildings have been traditionally assessed using invasive methodologies such as drilling powders from bricks at different heights, whose moisture content is then determined using the ponderal method [2][3][4].…”