Semantic HBIM for heritage conservation: a methodology for mapping deterioration and structural deformation in historic envelopes

Academic Editor: Rita Bento Received: 11 April 2025 Revised: 16 May 2025 Accepted: 19 May 2025 Published: 10 June 2025 Citation: Nieto-Julián, E.; Robador, M.D.; Moyano, J.; Bruno, S. Semantic HBIM for Heritage Conservation: A Methodology for Mapping Deterioration and Structural Deformation in Historic Envelopes. Buildings 2025,15, 1990. https:// doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121990 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/). Article Semantic HBIM for Heritage Conservation: A Methodology for Mapping Deterioration and Structural Deformation in Historic Envelopes Enrique Nieto-Julián 1,* , María Dolores Robador 2, Juan Moyano 1and Silvana Bruno 3 1Department of Graphic Expression and Building Engineering, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain; [email protected] 2Department of Building Construction, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; lolar[email protected] 3 Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Construction and Chemistry Engineering, Polytechnic University of Bari, I-70126 Bari, Italy; [email protected] *Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The conservation and intervention of heritage structures require a flexible, interdisciplinary environment capable of managing data throughout the building’s life cycle. Historic building information modeling (HBIM) has emerged as an effective tool for supporting these processes. Originally conceived for parametric construction modeling, BIM can also integrate historical transformations, aiding in maintenance and preservation. Historic buildings often feature complex geometries and visible material traces of time, requiring detailed analysis. This research proposes a methodology for documenting and assessing the envelope of historic buildings by locating, classifying, and recording transformations, deterioration, and structural deformations. The approach is based on semantic segmentation and classification using data from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), applied to the Palace of Miguel de Mañara—an iconic 17th-century building in Seville. Archival images were integrated into the HBIM model to identify previous restoration interventions and assess current deterioration. The methodology included geometric characterization, material mapping, semantic segmentation, diagnostic input, and temporal analysis. The results validated a process for detecting pathological cracks in masonry facades, providing a collaborative HBIM framework enriched with expert-validated data to support repair decisions and guide conservation efforts. Keywords: intervention in architectural heritage; HBIM; conservation of historic facades; digital twin 1. Introduction The concept of building information modeling (BIM) is considered as one of the technological components in the 3D technology category. This collaborative methodology for the design and management of construction projects is assumed by a new area of knowledge applied to the historic building. Its acronym is HBIM, and it was defined by [ 1 ] as the procedure of mapping BIM objects from the point cloud by reverse engineering. The process develops geometric shapes that represent elements of historical construction in a virtual environment. Consequently, historic building information modeling has become the best tool designed to adapt to the activities of a restoration project. This methodology is specifically designed to record parametric construction models as an information manager by adding Buildings 2025,15, 1990 https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121990 Buildings 2025,15, 1990 2 of 26 semantic components to the model, including information on the different transformations of the historical artifact and allowing continuous progress in the life cycle of the building. Through this BIM methodology, it is possible to increase the phase of aggregation of information to the model, manage collaborative databases among a variety of software, and create new architectural configuration components sequentially. In this way, stratigraphic information is one of the main characteristics that can be studied in this model. In professional practice, comparing the point cloud with digital parametric construction models allows for both qualitative and quantitative assessment of the advanced degradation state of materials. In selecting the set of points captured from the building’s surface, it is necessary to implement classification procedures through segmentation algorithms to identify which elements are suitable for modeling and which are not. These compositional elements can potentially be integrated into a digital library, serving as a systematic method for capturing and recording architectural features as intelligent components [ 2 ]. Incorporating the data extracted from point clouds obtained through techniques such as photogrammetry or LiDAR into the BIM environment enhances the completeness of 3D model representations [ 3 ]. The point cloud data, referred to as attributes, provide metric accuracy, as well as information on material reflectivity, texture, and colorimetric properties. 2. Literature Review 2.1. The Stratification of Heritage The temporal evolution of a historic building is evident, and an analysis of the transformations in the structures and construction techniques that have occurred is essential for proper conservation, making the stratigraphic study an efficient tool. Stratigraphic analysis is governed by codified terminologies and knowledge, used by archaeologists and architects in the restoration of historic walls. This methodology is governed by well-agreed theoretical principles and procedures that have been adapted through new research [ 4 – 6 ]. With the stratigraphic analysis, the evolution in time or history of the construction of the building event is established, auscultating the walls discovered in the interventions to constitute a clear identification of the chronological phases, always supported by adequate knowledge of the construction techniques of the different analyzed historical periods. Although the methodology has been very effective since its inception, it is necessary to update the graphic techniques of data collection and multidisciplinary management between operators. That is, without forgetting the use of traditional CAD for the analysis of stratifications from orthoimages, it is necessary to give priority to the use of three-dimensional works of the archaeological environment [ 7 ]. And the interoperability of data, graphic and non-graphic, with the agents involved in a conservation and restoration process would be achieved with the implementation of the BIM methodology in the heritage. 2.2. The BIM Methodology in the Management of Historical Projects In any historic building, there is a compositional structure of elements that must be studied when proposing a model of a facade. Modulating complex structures involves recognizing that there are elements of artifacts that, due to their geometric properties, require adaptation mechanisms through meshes generated by software other than BIM. It must also be admitted that although the virtual construction of the walls is executed with theoretical modeling, when comparing the point cloud with the element of the model, discrepancies due to the actual collapse of the walls can be verified, variations that can be shown in both section and elevation [ 8 ]. Due to the passage of time, architectural heritage is usually affected by pathologies such as cracks and collapses due especially to the movements of the building, the most common being in masonry and wooden structures. Another component is the integration of the damage detected in the heritage, which can be Buildings 2025,15, 1990 3 of 26 represented in the digital model itself. García-Gago et al. [ 9 ] structured the capabilities of the HBIM by integrating two essential features, geometric and material, and proposed the integration of building damage information into an information model of historic buildings. From reverse engineering, damage and anomaly detection can be extracted in stones, bricks, and coatings, hence the importance of defining an ontological basis for describing and linking these entities. Thus, directly from a point cloud obtained by photogrammetry, a classification can be made with semantic annotations [ 10 ] in which images intervene as a vehicle of detection. In the field of crack analysis, in order to propose hierarchical restoration strategies, [ 11 ] proposed a training of the Mask R-CNN model and the classifier to train 270 images. These identification strategies are very common today due to the diversity of existing segmentation algorithms. The latest research [ 11 ] implements artificial intelligence in an intervention in architectural heritage, using 3D laser scanning technology to obtain disease details and crack data from masonry and wood walls; using a Mask R-CNN model to detect the crack area; and using an FCN model to identify and calculate individual cracks and, finally, to analyze the causes of the cracks and then propose corresponding hierarchical restoration strategies. The study of stratigraphy in BIM models has also been a widespread trend in recent years. However, identifying stratification representation procedures in a three-dimensional digital environment is a sharing of [ 12 ] facilitating a reading of deformations and tonal changes in materials. The work of Banfi et al. [ 13 ] comes to the analysis of a wall of the church of St. Franceso simply by identifying pathologies of a model from an orthophoto, although without establishing identifying methodologies. A similar work, using the same database and images of the previous researchers, is [ 14 ], which implements stratigraphic unit parameters in Revit descriptors. In terms of implementation, [ 15 ] proposed a collaborative workflow in the HBIM project for an automatic classification of ashlars. 2.3. Monitoring the Historic Building The HBIM project must be consolidated as a platform that integrates multiple sources of information, very valid for management and maintenance. The conservation of cultural heritage is often affected by changes in temperature and humidity within architectural spaces, so the energy performance and indoor microclimate of historic buildings require adaptation to new prevention studies. Under these premises, the latest research seeks to implement interdisciplinary processes between energy operators in a BIM environment, creating a new framework for the monitoring of energy parameters through sensors linked to the 3D model, fully interoperable and semantically enriched [ 16 , 17 ]. Other authors [ 18 ] focus their studies on the evaluation of the structural behavior of buildings that have suffered severe damage from earthquakes over the centuries, using a numerical, refined, and reliable 3D model that adopts updating techniques, sometimes based on artificial intelligence algorithms. At this point, this research work poses two major challenges: (i) how to rescue the pathologies presented by a facade from massive data acquisition techniques such as photogrammetry and (ii) establishing the management and classification mechanisms of these characteristics inserted in the HBIM model. 3. Objectives Based on the first theories formulated by the academic Dobby [ 19 ], in relation to the concept of architectural intervention, in a classification of “repair” (where there were no changes or total modification) and “restoration” (where changes did occur), the conservation process of a historic building is categorized in detail, in which there are seven degrees of intervention that are carried out at different scales and levels of intensity. Depending Buildings 2025,15, 1990 4 of 26 on the physical conditions, the causes of deterioration, and the prospective future environment [ 20 ], the following are established: (i) prevention of deterioration, (ii) preservation of the existing state, (iii) consolidation, (iv) restoration, (v) rehabilitation, (vi) reproduction, and (vii) reconstruction (also cited by [21]). All these terms will mark hierarchical categories of intervention. Thus, in the history of the building, possible morphological evolution or transformations in the construction chronology are marked. But in the field of practice in the area of 3D digitization, how can historical recordings be performed on a BIM platform? This is the initial working hypothesis, to record each and every one of the stratigraphic sequences. Therefore, the objective of this work is, based on an adequate interdisciplinary knowledge of the building, to collect each intervention as a semantic unit in the BIM process parameterizing the elements from reverse engineering. 4. Case Study The Palace of Miguel de Mañara is one of the most emblematic historical buildings of Sevillian architecture. Its original Mudejar-style structure was given a unitary formal configuration in the seventeenth century, consolidating the characteristic elements of the Sevillian Baroque House and incorporating Renaissance details, such as the aulic layout of the main courtyard, the prominence of the main staircase, and the incipient organization of the facade. Currently, the palace houses the institutional headquarters of the General Directorate of Cultural Assets of the Ministry of Culture and Environment of the Junta de Andalucía. To understand the evolution of the building, it is essential to investigate the various stages of restoration that it has undergone over time. The remodeling of Seville on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1992 prompted numerous interventions in the monumental heritage of the city. For the case study, at least three significant restorations have been recorded. This sequence of restorations has been crucial in preserving and highlighting the architectural and historical value of the Miguel de Mañara Palace, ensuring that its original details and authenticity endure over time. 4.1. Previous Restoration Projects It is important to reflect the importance of the remodeling of the city of Seville in the years prior to the 1992 Exhibition, not because of the large number of heritage interventions but because of their interdisciplinary nature. As Diego Oliva Alonso and Isabel Santana Falcó emphasize, “the Charterhouse of Santa María de las Cuevas, the Palace of Altamira, and the Royal Monastery of San Clemente, together with the House of Miguel Mañara, all of them in Seville, are pioneering works in the way of understanding archaeological intervention, as research into the built, but they are also so in the way in which the knowledge of historians, archivists, heraldists or restorers of movable property is integrated with architects and archaeologists, together with pure scientists of different specialties” [ 22 ]. 4.1.1. Restoration of the Year 1991 The rehabilitation of the Miguel de Mañara Palace (1991–1992), led by architect Fernando Villanueva Sandino until his death, was conceived as a multidisciplinary project involving archaeologists, art historians, and engineers. Villanueva emphasized that restoration is not mere reuse but a critical intervention balancing historical value with functional, social, and urban objectives. The project aimed to recover the palace’s 17th-century configuration, its period of greatest significance, through careful restoration of architectural elements such as marble, wood, and tiles, while adapting the space for its new use as the headquarters of the Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage of the Junta de Andalucía. Buildings 2025,15, 1990 5 of 26 The intervention preserved the original layout, removed incongruent additions, reintroduced lost mezzanines, enhanced the main staircase’s design, and completed the courtyard’s colonnade based on 16th-century documentation. Restoration of the facade included exposing and consolidating 18th-century polychrome layers, removing later additions, salts, and organic residues. Villanueva underscored that design and execution were inseparable, relying on detailed preliminary studies to guide historically and structurally faithful solutions. Villanueva was clear that “the development of the rehabilitation project is difficult to understand apart from its execution,” so it was based on studies and preliminary work, constituting these basic sources of the process of designing the solutions. This way, the rehabilitation project will immediately identify what the primary objectives are. The intervention on the facade included cleaning the layers of material until the original layers were exposed, where remains of polychromy were found. The general criterion was to recover the polychrome elements that characterized the building during the eighteenth century, discovering and consolidating 100% of the hidden paintings. The intervention program on the facade included the cleaning and consolidation of the original remains of paint and eliminating non-original layers, salt deposits, and organic elements, in addition to consolidating both the pictorial film and the mortars (Figure 1).  Figure 1. Facade prior to the restoration of 2005. 4.1.2. Restoration of the Year 1994 In 1994 a project was drawn up for the refurbishment of the interiors of the palace, directed by the architect José Luis Daroca Bruño. It was mainly aimed at the installation of a library for restricted use, located in the painting room on the north side of the courtyard on its ground floor. Therefore, this project does not affect the facade. Buildings 2025,15, 1990 6 of 26 4.1.3. Restoration of the Year 2004 In 2004, a proposal for intervention on the facade of the palace was drawn up with the aim of reviewing and stabilizing the treatments initiated in previous phases, halting the ongoing deterioration of the materials. Additionally, it sought to unify the decorative elements of the facade through a systematic and rigorous reconstruction process, thereby achieving a cohesive appearance free from distorting agents (Figure 2).  Figure 2. Facade of the Palace of Miguel de Mañara prior to the restoration of 2005. The interventions made it possible to recover the complete decoration of the facade made in 1767. During the 2005 restoration, the facade was found to consist of a masonry wall reinforced with stonework at the corners, pilasters, and lower sections, shaped into buttresses to frame the brick facing and support the rammed earth areas. Lime-based mortars mixed with sand and straw were used, clearly distinguishing the two coating layers: the arriccio (rough base layer) and the intonaco (thin finish layer). Material losses were attributed to erosion caused by poor detachment techniques in previous interventions, which left tool marks along the edges. These affected the pictorial intonaco layer and penetrated several millimeters into the arriccio. This type of damage was widespread across the surface. No major cracks were observed, except for one on the roof of the oculus. However, fine fissures in the intonaco were detected, likely caused by shrinkage during drying. Moisture-related damage included plaster carbonation and staining, resulting in darkening and pronounced yellowing of the mortar. Following restoration, the entire facade displayed a rendered finish that preserved the articulation of the individual bricks. Nevertheless, certain paneled areas on the first floor lacked vertical discontinuities in the brick courses (Figure 3). Buildings 2025,15, 1990 7 of 26  Figure 3. Facade of the Palace of Mañara after the intervention of 2005. (Photo taken from the UAV, 2023). 5. Methodology The new methodology that was carried out included the historical and evolutionary study of the palace and the inclusion in an HBIM project of all the processes of geometric characterization, semantic identification, and insertion of study components of the building’s diagnosis (Figure 4). Figure 4. Workflow of the methodological process. 5.1. Historical-Evolutionary Study From the point of view of restoration experience, the processes of action must follow one another in a progression by progressive and complementary stages, starting with obtaining all valid preliminary information, both from historical documents and from previous restoration projects. In the case of the facade of the Miguel de Mañara Palace, it was very important to collect data on the interventions carried out in the building, including the facade, to make a cataloguing of historical photographs and to know the scope of all Buildings 2025,15, 1990 8 of 26 the interventions. The insertion of all these data in a BIM model was essential to know the historical-evolutionary value of the building. 5.2. Data Acquisition System The first phase involved the precise capture of the geometry of the exterior enclosure of the Palace of Miguel de Mañara, a building whose facade has a length of 43.30 m and a height of 6.75 m. This case study is relevant due to the geometric particularities of the facade, which has an inclination of approximately 30◦in the first quarter of its length and a considerable collapse in verticality in the last quarter. These characteristics represent a challenge for the applicability of data acquisition techniques as they can cause false recordings and occlusions when short-range photogrammetry is used. For this specific case, a combination of capture technologies was chosen instead of a single sensor. In this sense, personal laser scanning (PLS) [ 23 ] was used, complemented by photogrammetry using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a terrestrial reflex camera. As described in [ 24 ], this methodology provided complete point coverage over the various elements of the facade. The PLS Leica BLK360 was used in the geomatics surveys, which, thanks to its low weight and scanning capacity of 360,000 dots per second, facilitated detailed capture of the exterior architecture. In addition, the BLK360 was equipped with three HDR cameras with color sensors and an infrared thermal camera, which expands its data-logging capability. To cover the highest areas of the facade, since the scanner operated from a 1 m high tripod, the PLS was supported with aerial photogrammetry using a 0.6 kg DJI Air2S drone. In a second phase, the photogrammetry capture was complemented with images captured by a Nikon D80 SLR camera, in two rows, one perpendicular and inclined 15 ◦ to the facade (focal length of 30/35 mm and distance to the facade of 4 m) and another inclined at 30 ◦ (focal length of 27/35 mm and distance to the facade of 7 m, conditioned by the width of the street), thus covering the entire height of the building and covering each section along Calle Levíes. These technologies interacted to cover possible occlusions in the registers, which required a precise fusion of both sets of aligned points. The alignment between the data obtained from PLS and UAV presented certain complexities, primarily due to the integration of terrestrial and aerial datasets and the requirement for a precise geospatial database as a reference framework for historic building information modeling. To generate an optimal orthophoto for the study, 72 photographs were taken at 4 m and another 36 at 7 m away from the facade plane, ensuring an 80% overlap valid for photogrammetric processing in Agisoft Metashape V.1.8. The dense point cloud generated within a 3D coordinate system was of significant importance for producing a model that faithfully reflected the geometric particularities of the facade. Furthermore, the acquisition of a 3D polygonal mesh was essential to accurately integrate the surface into the HBIM project. As for the orthophoto generation, images were processed by facade sectors according to structural discontinuities, allowing for the creation of distinct frontal views of each section. These were subsequently used to map the exterior face of the parametric walls (Figure 5). The HBIM project must be properly structured, with PLS and UAV data being a source of information to determine the dimensional characteristics of the structures (length, height, and volume) and the specific geometric elements of the architecture (plinths, skewers, moldings, cornices, breaks in walls, and variations in the usual elevations), and must use a high-precision GPS to reference the control points on the ground and structure the project appropriately. The data interoperability between the post-processing software (Leica Cyclone 3DR 2023.1) and the BIM platform (Archicad 27) must become a solid method for the subsequent modeling processes in the HBIM project. It will be within the HBIM project Buildings 2025,15, 1990 9 of 26 where the segmented fractions of the point cloud will be managed to proceed with their semantic enrichment. Based on previous contrasted cases [ 4 ], the management of the point clouds began in Cyclone 3DR (C3DR), establishing the origin of the project (0,0,0) at the bottom, end, and left point of the facade. The point cloud of the facade was isolated from the adjoining buildings and exterior pavements, dividing into the doorway, plinth, and facade. All portions were also georeferenced to the same source, to then be exported in e57 format; they were then imported into the HBIM project, all the fractions being properly coupled in automatic mode.  Figure 5. Arrangement of the cameras in two bands in front of the facade of the Palacio de Mañara, with a frontal position and inclination at 15 ◦ at a distance of 4 m and inclination 30 ◦ at 7 m. Georeferencing of the HBIM project and overlap between model and point cloud. The reference levels were defined in the BIM environment based on the PLS point clouds: the street pavement set the zero level, the threshold of the access door set the ground floor level, the balconies established the level of the first floor, and the upper face of the last cornice established the roof level. The ordinate axes were made to coincide with the structural projections (vertical imposts) of the facade, information provided by the facade point cloud (Figure 6).  Figure 6. Elevation of the PLS point cloud in the HBIM project, showing the reference levels of the building and the structural Yn axes. Buildings 2025,15, 1990 16 of 26 6.2. Point Cloud Classification The segmentation and semantic classification of a set of architectural element record points (TLS, LIDAR, and UAV) is a process of exhaustive and precise analysis applying identification algorithms to then generate different regions with homogeneous properties and characteristics. Drzewiecki et al. [ 36 ] enunciated several methods for classifying and segmenting a point cloud: methods based on line segments, attributes, and definition of geometric shapes; those based on Hough’s 3D transform; and a method employing the region growth algorithm. In the end, the segmentation process resulted in establishing sets of points, usually of the TLS or SfM type, which must be labeled as materials, construction systems, surface gradients, or anomalies arising from biological problems. Segmentation of the Facade SfM photogrammetry, derived from UAV surveys and the hand-held ground camera, provided a well-textured metric surface of the facade (Figure 11a). The mesh was imported into the Leica Cyclone 3DR environment and coupled into the same reference system of the HBIM project. Then, the mesh was segmented by planes, establishing as base parameters a segmentation angle of 15 ◦ , an area threshold of 2 m 2 , and a standard deviation threshold of 10 cm. Twenty-one plans of the section of the front facade to Calle Levíes were obtained (Figure 11b). The portions were colored for identification, although they could be shown by their actual colors, as shown in Figure 11c. 6.3. Organization of the HBIM Project The floors were established as a reference of levels based on the point clouds from the TLS or photogrammetric survey and the use of a structure of axes of abscissas and ordinates that marked the core of the main structural elements and the substantial facts of the building (Figure 12). Thus, before starting with modeling using parametric objects, a governing matrix of the entities must already be available. For the virtual construction of the 3D model, basic construction typologies (wall, slab, and pillar, among others) were used, superimposing them on the clouds of reference points. This made it possible to contrast the real model with the theoretical one, carrying out an exhaustive analysis of the deformations in the horizontal and vertical walls of walls, cornices, and cantilevers. Considering the limitations of resources, mainly the PC hardware, one should always look for the greatest operability and efficiency. Thus, for the case study, priority was given to the adequate identification and classification of pathologies in cladding. Therefore, it was not necessary to introduce all the mesh areas in the HBIM project, only those that showed evidence of damage and cracks in the facade. These pathologies were finally analyzed, classified, and controlled in the BIM environment. 6.4. The Collapse of the Walls of Facades The point clouds themselves provided very valid geometric data to study the collapses in the facade walls, detecting important deviations from planes and evidencing the great collapse in several sections included in the PLS point cloud, as shown in the images in Figure 12. Several sections of the parametric wall that were introduced to model the theoretical facade of the HBIM model, represented with red-earth color, were detached from the cloud of reference points due to the real deformations of the two walls (Figure 12a). The deviation analysis was carried out directly with the comparison between the theoretical wall and the point cloud in each of the 175 given sections along the facade (separated by 25 cm). The maximum collapse was located in section S142, between the Y8Y9 axes, with a deviation of the wall in the direction of the public road of 23.7 cm (Figure 12c). Buildings 2025,15, 1990 17 of 26  Figure 11. (a) Mesh of a portion of the facade with the landmarks, processed and scaled in Agisoft Metashape. (b) Color identification and segmentation of 21 planes of the triangulated mesh. (c) Comparison of the cloth graded in yellow with the textured segmented mesh. Cyclone 3DR Leica geosystems. Author: Enrique Nieto, 2024. Buildings 2025,15, 1990 18 of 26 Figure 12. Elevation (a) and plan (b) of the facade of the Palace of Mañara, with superposition of the point cloud with the parametric wall (red) in its theoretical position (collapse 0 ◦ ). (c) Maximum collapse located in section S142 (with respect to the theoretical wall): 23.70 cm. The data interoperability between the post-processing software (Leica Cyclone 3DR) and the HBIM project (supported by Archicad) is exposed in [ 24 ], constituting an effective method for the subsequent modeling processes in the HBIM project, where all fractions were classified in sets of specific points. The segmentation of the PLS point cloud was managed in the HBIM project as an object with its own entity, allowing it to be enriched with semantic data, introducing specific properties derived from the process of auscultation, dating, cataloguing, conservation, and restoration. 6.5. Pathological Study of the Facade For the pathological study of the Palacio de Mañara, both the orthoimages of the facade and the mesh and textured surfaces of the segmented panels were used, defined as a unit flanked by the plinth, the horizontal cornice, and the two vertical extreme imposts. Subsequently, a stratigraphic segmentation was carried out by areas with superficial lesions, using the Morph tool. Its external face was mapped with the real image, showing the lesions in their correct positions. In the library of materials of the HBIM project, a group of specific coatings of the building under study was arranged. Various typologies were created, where each type was associated with the partial ortho-image of the facade wall. For its proper 3D representation, it was given a thickness between 5 and 10 mm. Fissures and cracks caused by structural movements were not of considerable opening, so representation by area was discarded. Simple vector marking using a prominent color pen (such as magenta) was sufficient. All injuries were classified according to the SCFclass V2 standard, assigning each one a subclass within the category functions: “Auscultation and > Tests General damage > Mechanical origin > Crack” in masonry elements and “Auscultation and tests > Damage > Surface alterations > Crack” in coatings (Table 1). Buildings 2025,15, 1990 19 of 26 Table 1. List of subclasses of the Spanish standard SCFclass V2, within the category functions: “Auscultation and tests > Damage > Mechanical origin > Crack in the factory” and “Auscultation and tests > Damage > Surface alterations > Crack in coating”. FUN AUE FUN.AUE Auscultation and Rehearsals Entidad IFC Tipo IFC FUN AUE 010 FUN.AUE.010 Sensors No aplica FUN AUE 010 010 FUN.AUE.010.010 Crack meter ud IfcSensor MOVEMENTSENSOR FUN AUE 010 020 FUN.AUE.010.020 Temperature sensor ud IfcSensor TEMPERATURESENSOR FUN AUE 010 030 FUN.AUE.010.030 Accelerometer ud IfcSensor USERDEFINED FUN AUE 010 040 FUN.AUE.010.040 Displacement sensor ud IfcSensor MOVEMENTSENSOR FUN AUE 010 050 FUN.AUE.010.050 Strain gauge ud IfcSensor MOVEMENTSENSOR FUN AUE 010 060 FUN.AUE.010.060 Extensometer ud IfcSensor MOVEMENTSENSOR FUN AUE 010 070 FUN.AUE.010.070 Fleximeter ud IfcSensor MOVEMENTSENSOR FUN AUE 020 FUN.AUE.020 Rehearsals FUN AUE 020 010 FUN.AUE.020.010 Sclerometry ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 020 020 FUN.AUE.020.020 Ultrasound ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 020 030 FUN.AUE.020.030 Witness ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 020 040 FUN.AUE.020.040 Tasting ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 FUN.AUE.030 General damages FUN AUE 030 010 FUN.AUE.030.010 Deterioration of finish ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 020 FUN.AUE.030.020 Scour ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 030 FUN.AUE.030.030 Bulging ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 040 FUN.AUE.030.040 Detachment ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 050 FUN.AUE.030.050 Settlement ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 060 FUN.AUE.030.060 Collapse ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 070 FUN.AUE.030.070 Erosion ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 080 FUN.AUE.030.080 Excessive deformation ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 030 090 FUN.AUE.030.090 Drain element damage ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED Buildings 2025,15, 1990 20 of 26 Table 1. Cont. FUN AUE FUN.AUE Auscultation and Rehearsals Entidad IFC Tipo IFC FUN AUE 040 FUN.AUE.040 Damage to concrete and masonry elements FUN AUE 040 010 FUN.AUE.040.010 Breakage ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 020 FUN.AUE.040.020 Crack ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 030 FUN.AUE.040.030 Fissure ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 040 FUN.AUE.040.040 Chemical damage in element Co/Ma. ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 050 FUN.AUE.040.050 Efflorescence ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 060 FUN.AUE.040.060 Humidity ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 070 FUN.AUE.040.070 Vegetation ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 080 FUN.AUE.040.080 Coke and gravel nest ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 090 FUN.AUE.040.090 Wound washing ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 100 FUN.AUE.040.100 Damage to masonry or ashlar parts ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED FUN AUE 040 110 FUN.AUE.040.110 Damage to concrete reinforcement ud IfcBuildingElementProxy USERDEFINED Buildings 2025,15, 1990 21 of 26 If one is committed to implementing a more sustainable intervention project, based on an interoperable and efficient digital information model, where very specific elements of a restoration project can be implemented, the participation of BIM operators must be coordinated with specialists in the conservation of architectural heritage. The collaborative and multidisciplinary environment of the BIM methodology is a bulwark to advance in the effectiveness of PA 3 heritage conservation projects, taking a new step and overcoming past difficulties. Hence, researchers and restoration professionals [ 37 ] understand the spatial and functional configuration, the result of a process of continuous evolution that includes social, economic, and cultural aspects. The HBIM project incorporated the database of the standards established by the institution, region, or country, which made the semantic classification tasks more flexible. Figures 13 and 14 show the direct classification in the classifications and properties section, with the direct mapping in a drop-down data structure. For the auscultated areas, the marks were enriched with semantic data, with the creation of relationships between the damaged entities and a base of intrinsic properties of the HBIM project, so that the data were endowed with authenticity. In addition, the procedure allowed a correlation between semantic data and the model, helping to maintain consistency between the data. In this way, the marked sector of the image indicated the following: “Area covered with deteriorated lime mortar, with high cracking of the plaster. Possible causes: temperature changes and improper hydraulic setting; improper mixtures in mortars; structural movements. Diagnosis: Vertical cracks are the result of a cause inside the wall, which may be a pipe or another element that causes tensions, and which should be analyzed with a subsequent tasting. The rest of the generalized cracks are hygrothermal, also considering that other organic materials have been added to the lime mortar, which reduces plasticity. The loss of color in the fake brick masonry is due to the application of a very thin layer that, although it may contain organic elements, decreases durability” (Figure 15).  Figure 13. Marking of cracks in the wall mapped with the ortho-image. Buildings 2025,15, 1990 22 of 26  Figure 14. Sectorization of the superficial lesion using the Morph tool, which is classified as a “superficial alteration” of the coating.  Figure 15. Property management in the HBIM project for monitoring conservation processes. The diagnostic type was introduced as semantic data of the area with deteriorated plaster. 7. Discussion The preservation of architectural heritage entails continuous control of the structures and cladding of the historic building, which, in the case presented, led to the drafting and execution of successive intervention and restoration projects. The problem arose when Buildings 2025,15, 1990 23 of 26 the rich information reviewed, analyzed, and newly generated in each phase was isolated. Therefore, the data of each project were not properly recorded and then contrasted, which led to the loss of important data and the carrying out of repeated research work, which could be called preliminary studies, new metric surveys, and repeated pathological studies that fail to consider relevant previous findings. Starting from the basis that every restoration project needs historical enrichment, it is essential to investigate, compile, and reflect on all the past actions and interventions carried out up to the present. In the case presented, these preliminary studies served to efficiently analyze and contrast the graphic documents, reports, and technical reports of the intervention projects with the new information from the PLS surveys and photogrammetry. The HBIM project of the Palace of Miguel de Mañara was enriched with all the information from the previous restorations, to faithfully represent the structural systems, differentiating the successive layers of cladding and their metamorphosis over time. And referencing the point cloud of the scanned facade with CAD vector elevations helped to update and verify the geometric information. The fact of contrasting plans with elevations of different interventions served to detect discrepancies in dimensions, mainly in the length of the facade, as well as in the delimitation of the areas marked with subsequent deterioration. The methodological processes expressed in the research work were supported by data provided by effective techniques that acquired the real materiality of the envelope of the historic building, allowing a faithful 3D digitization and the subsequent control of deformations and alterations. This monitoring system provided efficiency in the auscultation of canvases that embellished the architectural heritage and reinforced conservation processes. Therefore, its implementation in the PA3 sector was very necessary for interdisciplinary management over time. The study has contributed to capturing recent and precise data that are very valuable for detecting pathologies in a building that has undergone a long transformation over time. A follow-up was carried out in the HBIM project allowing a three-dimensional analysis of the segmented panels of the facade. First, the point cloud itself was contrasted with the theoretical wall, allowing discrepancies of up to 27 cm to be detected, in a section of the facade that provided the maximum collapse toward the outside. These differential data with respect to a theoretical model were very revealing and of great importance for structural analyses, where experts will determine the causes: attributable to the passage of time or due to differential settlements of the building. Then, a superficial meshing of certain areas of the facade was made, which made it possible to represent the faithful geometry and insert it into the HBIM project. This reverse engineering process avoided the lengthy manual processes of parametric modeling that result in construction elements and systems that will never be equated with the complex reality of heritage. Subsequently, the conservation processes continued, experimenting with the pathological study of a sector of the facade of the Palace of Miguel de Mañara. The orthoimages of the segmented panels of the facade facilitated stratigraphic auscultation, identifying superficial lesions and then linking them to a parametric element such as Morph; the superficial deterioration that affected a specific area of the cladding was sectorized; and, through a vector color marking, linear lesions were highlighted: fissures and cracks. Finally, all detected lesions were classified by various standards (SCFclass V2 and others). Finally, the data provided by the technical report, derived from the auscultation and tests carried out, were introduced as semantic properties in the entity of the HBIM model. The specialist, after his inspection, embedded the specific data as an intrinsic parameter by accessing the interactive window and marking the correct cause since these were already pre-established in the project database; since very specific relevant pathologies of the case Buildings 2025,15, 1990 24 of 26 study were detected, new properties were also created to be introduced into the HBIM conservation project database. Methodological Advances in Conservation This case study aimed to provide new advances in the methodology to shape efficient restoration and conservation projects, which justified that we continue researching the HBIM topic, enriching previous work and solving challenges. An intervention in a historic building requires the participation of many disciplines and the appropriate multidisciplinary management of data, to which must be added the continuous maintenance of the heritage. The HBIM project was very valid for structuring the interdisciplinary information that flowed from restoration processes, providing, more than benefits, efficiency. The presented case can be extended to many others included in the PA 3 environment, serving as a guide for interventions. To do this, certain guidelines should be taken into consideration. All historical information must be recorded and compared in a common database, classified by progressive phases in time. The HBIM project must be linked to this database, with a database management system (DBMS) that allows data to be stored and then accessed in a structured and fast way. The DBMS would act as a single source of reliable and permanently updated information. In this way, effective communication and coordination is promoted, with the advance participation of the different agents involved in the conservation life cycle, facilitating, from the beginning, the consideration of all the conditioning factors and consensual decision-making. When monitoring the building, the BIM environment will allow updated 3D visualization (for example, on the new scans carried out), making it easier to identify pathologies and risk conditions in the PA 3 in the model. This will allow more effective decisions to be made in the intervention (between the different restoration alternatives) and in the subsequent conservation. The technical intervention systems are diverse and evolving, so it is important to record the products and techniques used, for each sector, together with the results obtained after restoration. The HBIM project must be the container of the data (graphic and semantic) assorted from the successive phases. In this way, the mutations that arise later, in structures and coatings, can be properly analyzed, helping the diagnosis and providing an adequate solution to the problem. 8. Conclusions The results of the research built a methodological process that validated a system for detecting pathological cracks in the architectural heritage of masonry to support the repair work. We worked in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment, such as the HBIM Project, enriched with precise data and validated by the specialist, mainly to provide contrasted reports on the causes that motivated the fissures, cracks, detachment of coatings, and water filtration in facade walls. However, the methodology can also be widely accepted in pathologies detected in horizontal walls, such as interior floors, slabs, and roofs. The scan to HBIM process implemented in the heritage conservation project contrasts the various techniques available in the sector, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, to adapt them favorably to the case study. The analysis and tests carried out on the various options by the researchers have finally made it possible to form an efficient methodology that allows the use of different technologies, such as UAV photogrammetry and PLS scanning, which complement each other, in order to sustain and strengthen the HBIM conservation project. These processes are very valid to be applied in the information model of a historic building and to monitor the conservation processes. In this way, the data that flow over time are auscultated, compared, and analyzed, helping to make more Buildings 2025,15, 1990 25 of 26 accurate and accurate decisions. Without forgetting that the parametric model of the HBIM project is updated semantically and accurately, so the effectiveness and solvency of the data is always guaranteed, establishing an effective and active project for conservation and restoration work. Author Contributions: Conceptualization, E.N.-J., M.D.R. and J.M.; methodology, E.N.-J.; software, E.N.-J.; validation, E.N.-J. and J.M.; formal analysis, E.N.-J., M.D.R. and J.M.; investigation, E.N.-J., M.D.R., J.M. and S.B.; resources, M.D.R., E.N.-J. and J.M.; data curation, E.N.-J. and J.M.; writing— original draft preparation, E.N.-J. and J.M.; writing—review and editing, E.N.-J., J.M. and M.D.R.; visualization, E.N.-J.; supervision, E.N.-J., J.M. and M.D.R.; project administration, E.N.-J.; funding acquisition, M.D.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This research was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, grant PID 2020115786 GB-100. Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author, as are the raw data supporting the conclusions. In reference to survey data by scanning and photogrammetry, they cannot be provided for security reasons; the building is the headquarters of the Consejería de Cultura of the Junta de Andalucía. Acknowledgments: We express our gratitude to the Ministry of Culture (Consejería de Cultura) of the Junta de Andalucía for the facilities provided to carry out the scanning and data collection work on the facade of the Miguel de Mañara Palace. Similarly, we express gratitude to the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage for the information provided, especially in reference to the historical documents collected, the intervention processes, and the restoration projects that have affected the building. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 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