The Importance of Digital Tools in the Preservation and Restoration Processes of Historical Buildings

Abstract

The preservation and restoration of historical buildings are critical to the sustainability of cultural heritage. Rapid advances in digital technologies have added new dimensions to these processes, enabling more detailed and efficient methods to be used. Tools such as 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, Virtual Reality (VR), and Building Information Modelling (BIM) have contributed significantly to the optimisation of preservation and restoration projects, both in terms of accuracy and speed, by facilitating precise measurement and analysis of buildings. These digital tools are increasingly being used in the documentation, damage assessment, reconstruction, and sustainability of historical buildings. This study examines the increasing use of digital tools in the preservation and restoration of historical buildings and the evolution of the literature in this field over the years. For this purpose, the methodology of the study includes a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. The relations between existing studies were analysed by categorising keywords related to historical preservation and digital tools in the Web of Science database. In addition, studies were organised in tabular form according to authors, year, purpose, methodology, and results. The data obtained aim to reveal the specific areas in which digital tools are concentrated, identify directions in the literature, and highlight the impact of these tools on preservation strategies. The results of this study demonstrate the contributions of digitisation to the processes of heritage conservation, while at the same time suggesting potential areas for future research. Finally, the study provides a deeper understanding of the applications of technology in the field and a propose approach for the digitisation of preservation processes.