Reliable 3D Mesh Modelling Workflows for Non-invasive Structural Diagnosis on Built Heritage

Close-range 3D digital survey methods (e.g., terrestrial laser scanning, photogrammetry) offer the opportunity to collect a wide amount of morpho-metric data on Built Heritage without invasive actions. Their detection ensures a high level of detail, till to permit the analysis of the shapes of single constructive components and masonries including the signs and variations derived from damage.
The increased resolution of point cloud databases can be preserved within 3D high-poly mesh models. However, the reliability and accuracy of digital data from damaged conditions must be certified, in the passage from the discontinuous database to the continuous system of 3D surfaces. The chapter presents a pilot test of 3D mesh models for the monitoring of structural damages from earthquake sequences, advancing further opportunities for the assessment of risk conditions and intervention priorities. Survey actions and technical results have been developed from a research collaboration in the laboratories of EUCENTRE Foundation in Pavia (Italy).