Articles by Cinzia Bacigalupo

Analysis and geometric measurement represent the main diagnostic tool to define the state of conservation of historic buildings and to plan their restoration. In the case of complex structures, the accurate monitoring and survey of the morphology aid in understanding the static situation in relation to the original design and materials used. This information is fundamental for the generation of virtual models and for simulating the evolution of deviations. This paper presents the results of a survey of two Islamic domes in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) which suffer from serious static problems. The integration of the different methods of survey performed with laser distantiometers, traditional geodetic instruments and digital photogrammetric techniques has been found to be vital in order to accurately reproduce the geometrical pattern of these structures. We obtained dimensional and geometrical measurements of the thickness of the walls, the morphologic defects, the variations of the axes and of the supporting surface of the domes. All of the geometric data, obtained in continuous form, was then used for the digital reconstruction and 3D simulation of the domes.