Vulnerability Of Cultural Heritage Research Articles

A multidimensional framework for assessing cultural heritage vulnerability to flood hazards

ABSTRACT This study proposes a multidimensional framework for the assessment of cultural heritage vulnerability to flood hazards. In this framework, cultural heritage is framed within a landscape approach drawing on the concept of the historic urban landscape as a physical entity, a lived space and a layered socio-economic environment. In such manner, this study emphasises that climate change disturbs both tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage – such as social systems and daily life practices – by modifying the material conditions that sustain them. Thus, the proposed framework integrates built and natural heritage with area-based vulnerability and socio-economic deprivation, considering households’ exposure to flood risk. The analysis follows a spatial and quantitative approach using open geospatial data available at the statistical unit level. The data are processed and analysed employing QGIS software and statistical analysis. Results confirm that cultural heritage vulnerability is highly associated with socio-economic deprivation and area-based vulnerability. The understanding of this interrelation is key to the identification of historic urban landscape qualities and priority areas for reconstruction and social support.

A Vulnerability Assessment Framework for Cultural Heritage Sites: The Case of the Roman Ruins of Tróia

This article contributes to developing an indicator-based vulnerability assessment framework for cultural heritage sites. It provides a vulnerability index for heritage sites potentially exposed to multiple hazards, including sudden-onset and slow-onset hazards, while considering climate change influences. Through determining particular criteria and indicators, the Cultural Heritage Vulnerability Index incorporates structural and non-structural factors of the heritage site and its local and national settings. The assessment procedure was applied to the case of the Roman Ruins of Tróia in Portugal. The findings highlight those areas of sensitivity (e.g., the existing deterioration patterns and types of foundation) and coping and adaptive capacities (e.g., institutional setting and response plan) that significantly contribute to the level of vulnerability and risk. The results of vulnerability assessment will further enable determining priorities and developing risk mitigation and preparedness measures, in particular reducing structural sensitivity and promoting coping capacities.

Remote Sensing for Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring: The Case Study of Alba Iulia

In recent times, satellite-based remote sensing has a growing role in archaeology and inherently in the cultural heritage management process. This paper demonstrates the potential and usefulness of satellite imagery for the documentation, mapping, monitoring, and in-depth analysis of cultural heritage and the archaeological sites located in urban landscapes. The study focuses on the assessment and monitoring of Alba Iulia, which is one of the Romanian cities with the richest historical past. Multitemporal analysis was performed to identify the land use/land cover changes that might contribute to an increased cultural heritage vulnerability to natural disasters. A special emphasis was dedicated to the assessment of the built-up area growth and consequently of the urbanization trend over a large time interval (30 years). Next, the urbanization and urban area expansion impact was further analyzed by concentrating on the urban heat island within Alba Iulia city and Alba Iulia Fortress (located in the center of the city). As temperature change represents a key element of climate change, the temperature trend within the same temporal framework and its impact on cultural heritage were determined. In the end, with regard to the cultural heritage condition assessment, the research was complemented with an assessment of the urban ground and individual building stability, using persistent scatterer interferometry. The results contribute to the detailed depiction of the cultural heritage site in such a manner that the site is monitored over an extensive timeframe, its current state of conservation is accurately determined, and the future trends can be identified. In conclusion, the present study offers reliable results regarding the main factors that might endanger the cultural heritage site as a basis for future preservation measures.

Harnessing Remote Sensing Derived Sea Level Rise Models to Assess Cultural Heritage Vulnerability: A Case Study from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Climate change threatens cultural heritage across the globe. Of its varied impacts, sea level rise is critically pressing because of the long relationship between humans and the ocean. Numerous cultural heritage sites lie on the world’s fragile coasts. Identifying cultural heritage sites at risk is an urgent need, but archaeological research programs do not always have the resources available to conduct large-scale cultural heritage vulnerability assessments. Given sea level rise poses myriad pressing issues, entities around the globe are developing sea level rise models for various management purposes (ecology, hydrology, real estate, etc.). These remote sensing-derived sea level rise models can be harnessed by archaeologists to assess cultural heritage site vulnerability. Here, such an analysis is realized for a northwest Atlantic Ocean coastal area experiencing relative sea level rise and with robust cultural heritage, including economically significant maritime heritage tourism. Combining archaeological and historic geospatial databases with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)-derived relative sea level rise models illuminates coastal New Hampshire’s cultural heritage vulnerability. This is informative for risk monitoring, mitigation, and preservation planning, especially for cultural heritage tourism. The analysis also raises the need for discussions around what kind and whose heritage gets priority in planning for future sea level rise impacts.

A Multilevel Approach for the Cultural Heritage Vulnerability and Strengthening: Application to the Melfi Castle

This study outlines a procedure for the seismic safety evaluation of historical buildings for engineers and architects that commonly work on buildings belonging to cultural and architectural heritage. The procedure is characterized by two interrelated phases: (a) building knowledge acquisition and (b) structural behavior analysis and safety assessment. The seismic safety evaluation strongly depends on the first phase, whose data can be obtained according to a multi-disciplinary approach based on five steps: (1) critical-historical analysis; (2) photographic documentation and geometrical survey; (3) structural identification and material survey; (4) foundation and soil survey; and (5) cracking pattern and structural integrity analysis. The proposed method was applied to the evaluation of the seismic safety of the Castle of Melfi (PZ, Italy). Comprehensive and multi-disciplinary knowledge of this monument greatly facilitated an accurate seismic analysis of this monument, which was conducted both at a local and global level using a linear kinematic analysis and non-linear static (pushover) analysis, respectively.

Model Updating of Historical Belfries Based on Oma Identification Techniques

ABSTRACT Central Italy Earthquakes occurred in 2016 pointed out once more the vulnerability of Cultural Heritage (CH), especially for what concerns bell-towers since they tend to get dramatically damaged due to their considerable slenderness and deterioration, endangering their surroundings and making their preservation fundamental. This work presents the results of the study carried out on four different isolated masonry bell towers, located in Ferrara province (Italy); the parameters of the materials were deduced by calibrating Finite Element Models (FEMs) using the data collected during an investigation campaign conducted with a wired accelerometric sensor system, since it was not possible to apply destructive methodologies. Dynamic data were extracted through the application of two Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) identification techniques: the Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition (EFDD) and the Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) methodology. Particular attention was devoted to the use of MAC matrix in the validation of the mode shapes results.

The Impact of Climate Change on Material Degradation Criteria in Heritage over Iran: Regional Climate Model Evaluation

Understanding how climate change accelerates or slows down the process of material deterioration is the first step towards assessing adaptive approaches for the preservation of historical heritage. Analysis of the climate change effects on the degradation risk assessment parameters like salt crystallization cycles is of crucial importance when considering mitigating actions. Due to the vulnerability of cultural heritage in Iran to climate change, the impact of this phenomenon on basic parameters plus variables more critical to building damage like salt crystallization index needs to be analyzed. Regional climate modelling projections can be used to asses the impact of climate change effects on heritage. The output of two different regional climate models, the ALARO-0 model (Ghent University-RMI, Belgium) and the REMO model (HZG-GERICS, Germany), is analyzed to find out which model is more adapted to the region. So the focus of this research is mainly on the evaluation to determine the reliability of both models over the region. For model validation, a comparison between model data and observations was performed in 4 different climate zones for 30 years to find out how reliable these models are in the field of building pathology.

A virtual logbook for the documentation of a continuously changing archaeological site: the San Clemente site in Albenga (Italy)

<p>Cultural and built heritage is nowadays recognized as a value not only in the socio-cultural field but also as an important economic driver. However, this non-renewable resource is more and more threatened by both external and internal factors and only by raising awareness on the vulnerability of cultural heritage we can lead to a real involvement of citizen to heritage site protection. In this sense, Virtual Museums (VMs), and more in general virtual technologies, can have a primary role to attract tourists and citizens. Indeed, VMs by presenting cultural concepts by using amusing and engaging techniques may reach younger generations in an easier way. In this paper, the specific case of the San Clemente archaeological site (Albenga, Italy) is addressed. Being the site in the riverbed of the Centa, it undergoes frequent flooding events causing continuously new damages to the archaeological site. The development of a virtual logbook of the site is presented along with the pre-processing steps that are necessary for the preparation of the published material. The logbook is addressed on one side to professionals (i.e. archaeologists and practitioners in cultural heritage) with the main aim of providing a tool for quick damage assessment. On the other side, a mobile app is on development for tourists and citizens allowing virtual exportation of the site and providing informative contents about it.</p><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Virtual museums and virtual environments are fundamental tools to raise awareness about the vulnerability of archaeological sites.</p></li><li><p>This paper presents the development of a virtual logbook, that can be used by experts and tourists, for the archaeological site of San Clemente (Albenga).</p></li><li><p>Integration of data coming from different sources is rendered into a web environment that can be easily accessed from both desktop and mobile devices.</p></li></ul>

The Current Status, Problems and Integration of the Protection and Inheritance of China’s World Cultural Heritage in the Context of Digitalization

In the process of the development of human society, there have always been the problems of the protection and inheritance of world cultural heritage, which are the common problems faced by all countries in the world, especially the developing countries. Due to the vulnerability of cultural heritage, with the continuous increasing number and variety of world cultural heritage, how to effectively manage and apply the related technologies to achieve the sustainable development of the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage has become the key point. Firstly, by analysing the development processes of the type and system protection of China’s cultural heritage, this paper focuses on revealing the current management status and problems of cultural heritage protection. Meanwhile, it explores the application of the integrated strategies and digital technology of the world’s regional network of cultural heritage protection, putting forward some sustainable suggestions.

The Integration Of Cultural Resources Management In Disaster Management At Special Region Province Of Yogyakarta

The Republic of Indonesia Law number 24 year 2007 on disaster emphasizes that the protection of national assets is in line with Law No. 11 year 2010 on the cultural heritage. Yogyakarta Province has 12 disaster hazards and has five complete archaeological cultural layers in Indonesia. In the event of a disaster, potential damage to the cultural heritage is exposed. The archaeological cultural layer consists of prehistoric, classical, Islamic and colonial. The lack of research related to cultural heritage in the province resulting in increasing vulnerability of cultural heritage and society. Using qualitative method with in-depth interview, the aim of this study is to analyse the management of cultural heritage from the perspective of disaster management. Archaeological cultural layers that embedded into the realm of cultural heritage is defined as a national asset that should be protected. The result shows that the management of cultural resources in the province is not yet integrated with disaster management. However, the results of the archaeological identification of cultural heritage in each cultural layer in Yogyakarta showed the development of community adaptation to the disaster. Utilization of cultural heritage as an element of the panca gatra has been impartial that affected the regional resilience and security in facing the disaster. Both of these problems can be overcome by integrating the cultural resources management and disaster management, the establishment of an emergency response team on cultural preservation, and disaster risk analysis on cultural heritage that annexed by BPBD and Cultural Office of Yogyakarta Province.

Non-Linear Modeling of Masonry Arches Strengthened with FRCM

Recent seismic events, such as the Central Italy (2016), the Emilia (2012) and L’Aquila (2009) earthquake, have demonstrated the high vulnerability of cultural heritage represented by historical and monumental buildings. These structures are often characterized by the presence of elements with a curved geometry such as arches and vaults, which interact with the vertical elements (walls or columns) during the earthquake motion, producing a significant effect on the seismic response of the entire structure. Aiming at the reduction of the seismic vulnerability of curved masonry elements, several techniques of reinforcing based on composite fiber materials, have been recently developed and widely investigated by means of experimental tests and numerical simulations. The using of fiber reinforced systems, applied through cementitious mortar (FRCM), is becoming a very common technique of retrofitting for historical and monumental masonry buildings. This technique, if compared to the using of fiber polymeric materials (FRP), is more compatible with the mechanical properties of the masonry and more appropriate with the preservation needs of cultural heritage, associated to the historical constructions. A discrete macro-modeling approach, already available in the literature for modeling masonry structures with plane and curved geometry, is here employed to predict the non-linear behaviour of masonry arches strengthened with FRCM. In that approach the reinforcement is explicitly modeled by using a rigid plate, while the interaction between the reinforcement and the masonry support is governed by a discrete zero thickness interface. In this paper the interfacial behavior is updated with a more sophisticated bond-slip constitutive law specifically conceived for FRCM reinforcement within the framework of fracture mechanics; in particular the proposed calibration takes into account both the pure opening mode (mode I) and the in plane shear mode (mode II). The obtained numerical results are compared with an analytical closed form solution of the problem and validated by mean of experimental tests on prototypes, available in the literature.

Tracking natural and anthropic risks from historical maps as a tool for cultural heritage assessment: a case study

In this study, historical maps and orthophotos were used as a baseline to establish the vulnerability of cultural heritage (CH) sites to natural and anthropic elements as a tool for cultural heritage management in Valea Oii river basin (north-eastern Romania). Starting from the nineteenth century, a series of natural hazards begun to have a frequent occurrence and with a higher degree of destruction as a consequence of anthropic pressure—village extension, connecting the human settlements by a network of roads, and building ponds to save water resources. The main indicators used were derived from cartographic digitisation: landslides, gullies, villages, roads and ponds. GIS integration and mapping allowed the creation of maps with both natural and anthropic factors. Following the GIS analysis of CH sites located within a 50-m distance from the roads, landslides, and gullies, 5 m for ponds, and inside villages, results that the highest number of CH sites (26) was affected by the development of road networks in 2012, while in 1894 only a number of three sites were affected. The creation of vulnerability maps (divided into three classes: low, moderate and high) was undertaken by overlaying the cultural heritage data with the information collected from the historical maps; these maps will then provide a comprehensive database to help local stakeholders, policy makers and local authorities to adopt proper protection and mitigation measures.

Flood risk maps to cultural heritage: Measures and process

Abstract Due to extreme climate change, catastrophe normality has become a global trend. The idea of “preventive conservation” is now the primary focus of cultural preservation worldwide. Risk maps have become the tool to predict cultural heritage vulnerabilities because of irreversible cultural characteristics that can never be duplicated after being destroyed. Because the concepts of risk maps and cultural heritage preservation are relatively new in Taiwan, this study attempts to create a set of cultural heritage risk maps. Using flood as its primary disaster type and New Taipei City in northern Taiwan as its targeted area, this study first analyses disaster-prone areas using current global preservation approaches. Thematic analysis and field study are also used for analysis. Finally, based on cultural heritage vulnerability, the study examines present heritage preservation strategies and rediscovers the three aspects of “sustainable management, disaster management, and climate change and adaptation” in response to cultural heritage management. In addition, this study analyses the feasibility of using parks as water detention areas to reduce flood damage temporarily not only to cultural heritage areas but to human lives and property, as well.

Simplified Mechanical Model for the Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation of Belfries

The systematic observation of damage caused by recent Italian earthquakes has highlighted the high seismic vulnerability of belfries, the inner part of bell towers. In this study, the authors propose a simplified methodology for safety checks of belfries that is usable for risk analysis at territorial level for the whole bell tower, according to the method proposed by the Italian Directive of October 12, 2007, Guidelines for the Evaluation and the Reduction of the Seismic Vulnerability of Cultural Heritage. The new mechanical method takes into account the possible activation of two different collapse mechanisms, connected to combined actions of compression and bending or shear action, supposing different static schemes in relation to the real belfry configuration. The seismic force at the base of the belfry is calculated also considering the influence of the second mode of vibration through a correction factor obtained by spectral analyses on several bell towers damaged by the 1976 Friuli earthquake. A validation of the proposed approach has been shown for two belfries damaged by the 2002 Molise earthquake and by the 2009 Abruzzi earthquakes, to highlight the reliability of the method in comparison to the simplified approach proposed in the literature.

Damage assessment of churches after L’Aquila earthquake (2009)

L’Aquila earthquake, which occurred on April 6, 2009, proved the high vulnerability of cultural heritage, with particular reference to churches. Damage assessment in the emergency was carried out on more than 700 churches with a methodology aimed at recognizing the collapse mechanisms in the different architectonic elements of the church. The method was developed after the earthquake in Umbria and the Marches (1997) and has been widely used in the last decade; this approach is also very useful for seismic prevention, as it allows one to single out the most vulnerable structures. Some examples are presented in this paper, representative of recurrent damage in the main elements of the church: the facade, the roof, the apse and the belfry. It emerges that, for a correct interpretation of damage and vulnerability, it is necessary a deep knowledge of local construction techniques and of the historic transformation sequence. Moreover, the bad behaviour of churches strengthened by modern techniques, such as the substitution of original timber roofs with stiff and heavy r.c. slabs, was observed. Starting from the observation of some case studies, the paper achieves some worth results, which may be useful for correctly driving future strengthening interventions.