Refreshing your memory, in the previous blog “Talking about everything visible and invisible (I)” we briefly told you about the digital technologies and techniques used to inspect, document and analyze Cultural Heritage in the visible range (the one that our eyes capture). It is now time to tell you about the complementary technologies and techniques that work in other ranges where our eye does not see (the invisible), allowing us to know about composition, history and conservation needs. Here they are:
X-ray techniques: X-ray radiography and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging are helpful in examining the internal structures and material composition of cultural heritage objects. These methods aid uncover hidden layers and construction details that are vital for restoration and conservation efforts.
Source: rxpatrimonio.com
Infrared (IR) imaging: near-infrared (NIR) reflectography, infrared thermography, and infrared spectroscopy are used to analyse pigments, identify underdrawings or alterations, and study the degradation of materials. This provides a deeper understanding of the original techniques used by the artists and the changes that the objects have undergone over time.
Ultraviolet (UV) imaging: is utilized to highlight the fluorescent properties and surface details of objects. This technique reveals hidden markings, retouching, and other modifications that are not visible under standard lighting conditions, offering insights into previous restoration efforts and the object’s history.
Microscopic analysis: employing optical and electron microscopy allows for the detailed examination of minute features, such as pigments, fibres, and inclusions. Microscopic analysis is crucial in the study of material structures and degradation processes at a microscale level.
Source: «La microscopía en el estudio del biodeterioro y la conservación del patrimonio histórico y cultural». Ana M. García https://oa.upm.es/20369/
Spectroscopic techniques: methods like Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray spectroscopy provide detailed information about the molecular and elemental makeup of cultural heritage objects. These techniques are essential for identifying pigments, analysing organic materials, and detecting changes related to aging and degradation.
Chemical analysis techniques: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) are used to identify and characterize organic compounds present on cultural heritage objects. These techniques allow understanding the material composition and the degradation processes, definitely aiding in developing appropriate conservation strategies.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques: computed tomography (CT) scanning, THz imaging, and ultrasound, are crucial for investigating the internal structure and condition of cultural heritage objects without causing any damage. These techniques reveal hidden features, assess structural integrity, and identify potential defects.
Although X-ray imaging can penetrate deeper and through denser materials, and also generally provides higher resolution images than THz imaging, this last is particularly safe for organic materials as it does not involve ionizing radiation (unlike X-rays, which require strict safety protocols to prevent damage to sensitive historical objects). THz imaging provides excellent material contrast for organic and composite materials, leading to a growing demand due to its effectiveness in non-destructive testing.
THz imaging is scarcely widespread throughout the EU but it is primarily found in technologically advanced research institutions, major museums, and specialized conservation labs. CARTIF is fortunate to have a dual-source THz system (100 GHz and 280 GHz) making it the proper partner in supporting museums and any kind of cultural institutions in art conservation and materials science.
THz imaging by CARTIF to provide information about the composition and layering of a parchment: real gold-leaf is clearly differentiated from other materials, such as adhesives, pigments, or underlying substrates.
Additional multimodal analysis methods should be considered to include a temporal dimension, keeping track of the evolution of features and phenomena over time. It implies the integration of data acquisitions from different visible /non-visible technologies into complex data structures that provide new analysis opportunities for scientists, conservators and curators. This requires advanced data processing and visualization tools that act as virtual environments for precise exploration, allowing to fully explore the always complex cultural heritage objects.
Collaborative platforms are essential for sharing and integrating digitized visible and non-visible data in this context, facilitating global cooperation among researchers, conservators and curators and also enhancing the collective understanding and preservation of cultural heritage.
The construction industry is undergoing a quiet revolution. While cranes and excavators continue to take centre stage on construction sites, a new type of worker is gaining ground: collaborative robots, or “cobots”. These efficient helpers will transform the way we construct and rehabilitate buildings. But what exactly are they and how can they change the rules of the game?
Cobots: More than simple machines
Unlike traditional industrial robots, cobots are designed to work side by side (or rather, arm in arm) with humans. These robots are equipped with sensors that allow them to detect the presence of people and objects in their environment. In this way, they can adapt their movement and strength to work safely alongside human workers. In the field of construction, these robots can be of great help, especially in the heaviest, most repetitive and dangerous tasks.
Façade rehabilitation: a new approach
Façade rehabilitation is an area where cobots can be of particular value. These tasks are often labour-intensive, dangerous and require high precision. There are several tasks where these devices could be of great use.
Inspection: Equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, the cobots can examine every inch of a façade in detail, detecting cracks, dampness or flaws that might go unnoticed by the human eye.
Cleaning: Specialised robots can clean façades efficiently and uniformly, without putting scaffolding workers at risk.
Application of materials: Whether it is paint, sealants or coatings, cobots can apply materials with high precision and consistency. In addition, material waste is significantly reduced, as they would use the exact amount needed in each case.
Repairs: Some advance cobots can perfom minor repairs, such as filling cracks or replacing deteriorated elements.
3D Printing: 3D printing using cobots makes it possible to create intricate shapes and patterns that would be extremely difficult or costly to achieve with traditional methods. In this way, each façade can be unique, perfectly adapted to the aesthetic and functional needs of the building and its surroundings. In addition, it is possible to directly print elements such as thermal or acoustic insulation within the façade structure. In this context, European projects in which CARTIF collaborates, such as INPERSO, are actively working on the integration of cobots for the rehabilitationf and 3D printing of façades.
Profit beyond efficiency
The intorduction of cobots in façade renovation not only improves the efficiency and quality of work, but also brings other benefits. In the area of safety, for example, by performing the most dangerous tasks, cobots significantly reduce the risk of occupational accidents. They also help in sustainability by optimising the application of the requires amount of material and thus reducing waste. Finally, they also facilitate traceability and documentation of the work performed. The data collected during robotic inspections provides a valuable digital record of the building´s condition.
Challenges and considerations
Despite their potential, the use of collaborative robots in construction still faces some challenges. One of them is related to existing regulations. Building regulations need to be adapted to include this new technology. This problem is common in many areas where innovations are ahead of regulations. Research is also needed on the long-term performance of the new materials associated with these techniques and the durability of the structures created. Finally, the initial costs of these robotic systems need to be considered. Although it may be cheaper in the long term, the initial investment in this technology canbe significant and requires a payback time that needs to be assessed.
Human factor
Despite all these advances, it is important to remember that cobots aren´t here to replace human workers, but to complement them. Construction professionals are still essential for planning, decision-making and tasks that require a human touch and creativity. One of the goals of using such robots is to free workers from the heaviest, most repetitive and dangerous tasks.
Looking to the future
As technology advances, we can expect to see even more sophisticated cobots on our construction sites. Imagine robots that can communicate with each other to coordinate complex tasks, or use artificial intelligence to adapt their working methods to the specific conditions of each building. Human-robot collaboration in building construction and renovation is not just a passing trend, but the future of the industry. With every façade rehabilitated and every building constructed, cobots are proving their worth, moving towards a more sustainable and safer future for the construction industry. These technologies can not only change the way we build, but also how we conceive the function and design of buildings. As technology advances, we can expect to see buildings that are not just structures, but truly functional and sustainable works of art.
The construction sector has evolved over the years and, with it, processes and products have gradually adapted to the needs of the market at all times. At CARTIF we have been researching and working in the field of infrastructures and building around thirty years to transform architecture and develop technological solutions focused on sustainable and intelligent construction.
We operate in different fields of application with special emphasis on the sensorisation and monitoring of infrastructures, the integration of renewable energies in buildings, as well as 3D printing technologies in construction, devices and IoT networks (Internet of Things).
On the road to the quest for the smart home, CARTIF researches in building rehabilitation and preventive maintenance, 3D digitisation and measuring, FEM simulation, the development of new materials with innovative properties and solutions for logistics and transport.
A proof of this is the METABUILDING Labs project, where we lead the construction of a network of test benches for façade components.
The main objective of this project, funded by the Horizon 2020 european programme and compound by a consortium of 40 partners proceed of 13 european countries, is contribute a Innovative European Ecosystem and a competitive, sustainable and inclusive grid of Open Innovative Testbenches, that stimulates the inversion of vanguard technologies for building envelopes.
With a focus on optimising the technical and environmental quality of building products, the project consortium is driving the development of these technologies by providing access to services and infrastructure for prototyping, testing and certification. The platform metabuilding.com serves as virtual and unique access to this powerful innovation ecosystem, that includes a wide grid of testing facilities.
In addition, innovative, replicable, standarised and cost-effective facilities known as O3BET (Open Source/Data/Access Building Envelope Testbench) have been desgined and developed during the project to test innovative envelope components under real conditions on a 1:1 scale.
CARTIF has been invovled in the definiton of the requirements and specifications of the prototype of this 03BET and has built the first and only test bench of these characterisitcs in Spain, which is located in the Boecillo Technolgoy Park, next to our facilities. The aim is to continue working on the start-up, the definition of tests and services, the development of the corresponding digital twin, as well as the replication of this test bench, which will be built in seven other countries in the European Union.
This is a milestone that we want to continue to pass on to all companies in the building renovation sector, especially SMEs, to facilitate their access to highly innovative testing tools. And, ultimately, to improve the sustainability of construction.
The European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), created in 2023 and aimed to create innovative tools for digitizing cultural heritage objects, is a trending topic in the UE applied research to ensure the sustainable and affordable conservation of our historical legacy.
For sure digitising cultural heritageinvolves a wide variety of technologies and techniques, some of which serve to analyse visible issues (those what we ‘detect’ with our eyes), and others serve to discover and analyse invisible issues (those what we are not able to see). Have you ever wondered what those techniques are? Keep reading as we begin in this episode with the visible ones. Don’t be impatient, next time we will explain those used for the invisible.
Digitising the visible characteristics of cultural heritage objects requires at least this range of innovative tools and methods:
High res-3D scanning: to capture the shape, texture and geometry. Techniques such as laser scanning, structured light scanning, Structure from motion (SfM – by means of image sequences) or Neural Radiance Fields (NERF – adding IA to image sequences) are employed to create detailed 3D.
Advanced imaging methods: this can include techniques such as multispectral images (normally between 3 and 20 spectral bands not necessarily contiguous to each other); hyperspectral images (formed by a greater number of bands but always contiguous); or reflectance transformation imaging (RTI), which easily reveal details, enhance colour accuracy, and provide material analysis.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): to enable immersive experiences and interactive visualisation of cultural heritage objects. They allow users to explore digitised objects in virtual environments, providing a more engaging and educational experience.
Metadata and semantic annotation: to ensure proper organisation and retrieval of digitised cultural heritage objects. These tools enable the description, classification, and linking of objects to related information, such as historical context, artist information, or cultural significance.
Robust data storage and management solutions: As the volume of digitised cultural heritage objects is hugely growing, cloud-based platforms and digital repositories are required to provide scalable and secure storage for the vast amount of data generated through digitisation efforts.
Collaborative Platforms: to ease collaboration among multiple institutions and experts, facilitate sharing, exchange, and collaboration among stakeholders, enabling seamless access to digitised cultural heritage data.
We know how to do all these things at CARTIF. Do you dare to ask us?
Decarbonization is the “trending topic” of terms related to sustainability, energy and the environment. It is the process of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. Decarbonization means reducing climate change and dependence on fossil fuels, which are precisely those that emit CO2 when burned (clear examples are fuel-oil and coal). Decarbonization implies the use of cleaner energy sources, but also the adoption of technologies and methods to protect the environment and to reduce these emissions (the so-called “carbon footprint”).
However, what does this have to do with Cultural Heritage? Well, you will be surprised for sure, but it turns out that Heritage contribuyes many important things to decarbonization: the preservation of historical buildings, the reuse of spaces, the promotion of sustainable mobility, the promotion of cultural tourism and technological innovation in the assessment and the conservation of historical assets. In other words, it turns out that offers an environmentally friendly approach to urban planning and rural development.
If we go into a little more detail, you will see that Cultural Heritage can play a significant role in decarbonization and the fight against climate change. Here we provide you five ways to do so, but I´m quite sure your are able to think of some more (please tell us):
Technological innovation applied to conservation1 of historic buildings (where CARTIF has a lot to say): here the sensitivity required by historic buildings implies the development of specific techniques and technologies, which have broader applications in reducing carbon emissions in other fields of construction and environmental management. The digitally based technical inspection, the preventive conservation and the intervention involving H-BIM avoid both ruin and/or demolition, as well as new alternative constructions, which significantly reduces the material and energy resources to be used for these purposes. Furthermore, and this is worthy of remark, the old buildings were designed and built up with techniques and materials that are inherently sustainable, taking advantage of aspects that we are “rediscovering” right now such as orientation, natural ventilation and the use of native materials.
Reuse of spaces: Historical sites and buildings can be suitable adapted for new uses and transformed into living or working spaces with a level of comfort appropriate to the 21st century, which in the medium-long term saves resources compared to the construction of new substitute structures. This reuse contributes to greater energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions.
Adaptation and transcription of ancient professional techniques: historic places are examples of how antique societies adapted to environmental challenges (which have always existed) and how lessons learned in the past can be adopted today through proper understanding and technological shift of traditional techniques and uses (both materials and methods).
Promotion of sustainable mobility: The preservation of historic centres in cities increasingly promotes sustainable mobility. In fact, they were desgined to move on foot, on horseback or in wagons and carriages. Therefore, they absolutely favour pedestrian accesibility and the use of public transport instead of private vehicles. This reduces dependence on fossil fuels and decreases greenhouse gas emissions.
Development of sustainable cultural tourism: it is more than proven that sustainable cultural tourism can play an important role in the local economy and even in the region, encouraging more environmentally friendly practices such as waste management, conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of quality agri-food and crafts.
But, does Cultural Heritage really do that much? Obviously yes. Indeed, a lot. In line with the priorities of the European Green Deal and the EU´s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050, the European Cultural Heritage Green Paper emerged in 2021, where indeed it is already considered a driver of decarbonization and mirror upon which citizens see themselves as key actors in the actions needed on this regard.
Historic building and decarbonization is a bionmial over which the Cultural Heritage & Regeneration Committee of the European Construction Technology Platform has been working for years (CARTIF takes part of the Executive Board). Its latest strategic research agenda for the period 2021-2027, promptly refers to this. And it is an issue that has been deepen into recent plenary assemblies. It is no wonder when 24% of the residential buildings in Europe date back to before 1945, nearly half of them have historical value, and of this latter, 73% are located in cities, which is precisely where the alrgest carbon footprint is made.
From now on, will you see Heritage with an additional view further than cultural, religious and tourist ones? Another thing for you to know.
1 In line with UNESCO and ICOMOS usage related to tangible heritage, conservation is considered as the umbrella term to cover a range of preservation, conservation, restoration, (re)use, interpretation and management activities.
Innovation and new technologies bring forth a variety of possibilities, obstacles and unknown questions that in order to be addressed, require the formation of interdisciplinary temas that allow for the reinforcement of each professional´s skills, enriching themselves with the knowledge, experiences and abilities of others.
This is how CARTIF understands it, and it becomes even more evident when approaching Cultural Heritage through the lens of the 21st century. As an example, the department dedicated to this cahllenging yet fascinating subject is currently comprised of Industrial and Computer Engineers, Physicists and Architects. They are always opent to new additions and work closely in collaboration with professions that naturally reside in this field, such as Historians and Archaeologists. Together, they work to respond to the six fundamental pillars internationally recognized for ensuring the sustainability of Heritage in its tangible, intangible, and digital forms.
Applied and continuous R&D leads to products, processes and services that prove to be useful in the medium term for the research, protection, conservation, restoration and dissemination of cultural heritage assets. Not only with technologies, but also with corresponding methodologies, even allowing for the evaluation of their economic and social impacts in both urban and rural areas. We couldn´t study historical aspects or analyze buildings or monuments architecturally without scientifc knowledge, the devices created by engineers, or the programs developed by computer scientists.
In fact, the digitization of Cultural Heritage, whose correct technological understanding and translation was addressen in a previous blog post, has positioned CARTIF at the forefront of defining the European Union´s research and technical priorities in the field. Now, it expands with the definition of new business models that ensure the preservation of the Heritage we currently enjoy for future generations.
Nevertheless, technology and innovation must always be accompanied by directives, guidelines and recommendations that take into account the local population; policies where Heritage is truly considered an asset; and the promotion of professional training, dissemination, awareness, and education, as it is impossible to value what is not known.
That is why Cultural Heritage, far from being something static, is constantly evolving, even as a concept, and demands updated professional profiles that address everything we have discussed. It´s quite a challenge. And these profiles begin to take shape in the collaborative project we have been carrying out at CARTIF. We always consider the business perspective, the requirements of public administrations, the uniqueness and sensitivity that each site requires, and the places and people involved. It´s another way to involve and build a future rooted in the past for the younger generation.
Analysis of a pictorial artwork using Terahertz cameras, which have applications ranging from material analysis and conservation status assessment to art authentication. Their ability to penetrate different materials and reveal hidden detials makes them a valuable yet uncommon tool.
