HBIM: To know to model the complexity. Cases history on Italian cultural heritage

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a particularly suitable methodology to implement a multidisciplinary approach in dealing problems that involve a large amount of data. This condition is typical of cultural heritage buildings, that are intrinsically complex (due to construction phases, variability of materials, unusual architectural solutions). However, the complexity of existent buildings makes very difficult to reduce them to repetitive schemes, useful to set an ordinary BIM model. For this reason, currently the application of BIM to the cultural heritage field (properly called HBIM - Heritage Building Information Modelling) is still not sufficiently tuned and need further reflection and development. In this paper case studies are presented in which the processes of knowledge, modelling, and conservation are applied to some Italian cultural heritage buildings of small dimension. The discussed applications are mainly referred to seismic retrofitting interventions, that are particularly sensitive because they require a holistic approach involving the knowledge of the construction phases, construction techniques, production methods, and the ageing processes of the historical materials.