Numerical analyses applied to the safeguarding and enhancing of cultural heritage: an approach based on the Constitutive Relation Error theory

• Grant number: 24/17151-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Hugo Luiz Oliveira
• Grantee: Philipe Queiroz Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Given the undeniable cultural value that society ascribes to heritage buildings, their rehabilitation has become a crucial issue within the scientific community. Such interventions typically require a deep understanding of the building's behavior and its current condition. Mathematical modeling has played a critical role in the conservation of cultural heritage, while Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has been instrumental in detecting damage and predicting structural risks. Despite recent advances in SHM, the conservation of heritage buildings remains a challenging field due to the complexity of structural systems, the heterogeneity of materials, and the presence of non-apparent defects. Conservation can be understood as a set of procedures aimed at predicting imminent deficiencies and preserving heritage for future generations by addressing ongoing damage. This study proposes a methodology to accurately identify damage in heritage buildings through a numerical-computational model capable of detecting and quantifying such damage. The central idea is that by updating the mechanical parameters of a numerical model of a historic building with non-invasive experimental data, it will be possible to identify regions with the highest errors, indicating the presence of damage. To achieve this, a numerical technique called Modified Constitutive Relation Error (MCRE) will be employed to identify the stiffness parameters of the finite element model. The model will be calibrated using modal parameters data from existing literature. Since identifying damage in heritage buildings is a prerequisite for any restoration, the results of this study are expected to contribute to more accurate interventions in heritage buildings, thereby preventing the loss of cultural heritage. (AU)