A new software tool that can segment the façade of historic buildings into component parts and make it easier to detect defects has been launched.
The tool, developed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University, uses data from laser scanning and photogrammetry (multiple overlapping digital photos) to create a 3D model.
It then uses the data to automatically segment facades into component parts, making it easier to detect problems within masonry and extract information regarding the amount of stone and mortar required for conservation repair works.
The tool has been made freely accessible for the conservation sector to use, in the hope that it will be widely adopted by professionals involved in the conservation and maintenance of traditional buildings.
The tool’s developers said they hoped it would provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods of inspection which require manual survey and often scaffolding.
Lyn Wilson, digital documentation manager at HES, said: "Scotland is home to a rich and diverse built environment of around half a million traditional buildings. Around 20% of the nation’s housing stock is made up of traditional buildings, and it is crucial that these existing assets can be repaired, maintained and adapted effectively to support national sustainability commitments."
"Any repair work to historic buildings must be carried out sensitively, and traditional masonry surveys to identify what conservation work is required can be costly and complex."
"This new tool offers the advantage of being able to conduct inspection and analysis of 3D data remotely, while still obtaining precise results."
"We hope that by making this new technology freely available we can champion the benefits and possibilities that laser scanning and photogrammetry can offer to the management of traditional buildings, and encourage wider adoption of these methods to help protect our precious historic buildings and promote the importance of reuse for a sustainable future”
Dr Alan Forster, associate professor in building conservation, low carbon materials and construction technology at Heriot Watt University, said: “Financial austerity forces us to focus more than ever on cost-efficient, accurate evaluation of our historic buildings. The ability of our open source digital technologies to support these activities enables the money for repair to be spent where it is most urgently needed, namely on the building itself."
“Importantly, conservation companies, whether large or small, will benefit from the open source software giving them greater confidence in accurately costing their work, and saving time and materials all within a safer working environment."
"The ultimate winners are local communities and wider society that should see more of their much-loved historic buildings conserved better with a lower environmental impact as materials can be more sparingly used.”
