Cultural Heritage Conservation and Sustainability Based on Surveying and Modeling: The Case of the 14th Century Building Corral del Carbón (Granada, Spain)

Cultural Heritage buildings face major challenges trying to combine a usability function with conservation and restoration obligations. Suitable conservation involves a complex set of activities, some concerned with historical documentation (functionality, construction materials, physical developments, etc.). Other activities require a geometrical description in order to detect pathologies related to walls tilting, displacements or roofs and beams deformation. Here, we propose a methodology that takes into account all those requirements when modeling a key 14th century Cultural Heritage building in Granada (Spain): Corral del Carbón. Known in the Moorish period as “Alhóndiga”, the building was used as an inn and a warehouse for merchandise. We survey the building with the most accurate techniques currently available (scanner laser and photogrammetry). After surveying it, we model the building at different levels of detail taking into account the various phases known to comprise the building. Finally, we propose an HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modeling) for building maintenance and facilitate its sustainability and usability over time.