LCP-GIS method for preventive conservation of heritage structures under wind action

Abstract

This work provides a new insight by combining LCP tools and GIS techniques to determine wind action flows that allows for identifying vulnerable areas in heritage structures under environmental risky conditions. The method is developed in a GIS environment by using an open-access software that enables transformation and management of environmental data as input layers, the application of assessment tools and open-access plugins to simplify the data processing, and the possibility of easily updating the data. From this LCP-GIS method, graphic representation of at-risk areas and vulnerable structures is obtained. The procedure has been validated by applying it to the Archaeological Ensemble of Baelo Claudia (Cádiz, Spain), a singular Roman city located in one of the windiest coastal areas of Europe. The main outcomes of this research are: (i) new application of LCP analysis for the assessment and simulation of wind flows which can be used to analyse complex heritage structures or sites; (ii) new method to evaluate environmental factors for heritage preventive conservation and risk mitigation; (iii) advances in rapid assessment methods to identify structural vulnerabilities under environmental conditions in large-scale heritage sites and structures; (iv) digital transformation of numerical data into graphical input layers within a GIS environment. The method can be extrapolated and applied in different heritage sites, as an efficient and accurate tool to enhance the resilience of at-risk structures.