Integrated digital technologies to support restoration sites: a new approach towards a standard procedure

LIDAR data integrated with digital photogrammetry today represents one of the most attractive ways of facing the metric surveying of an architectural object. Many papers have illustrated the possibility of building a complete 3D model using just these two techniques. In practice, not many restorers are used to managing 3D models and traditional graphic results, such as plans and sections, are usually required. The paper defines a correct balance between the use of traditional (manual and total station) and innovative (LIDAR and digital photogrammetry) techniques in order to satisfy the usual requirements for the metric survey of an architectural object. A project was carried out to obtain knowledge of the “Chiesa di San Giovanni Decollato” which is locally known as the Church of the “Misericordia” in Turin; it was necessary to prepare the survey graphic drawings that would be used for the restoration both of the decorative motives and of the structure of the church. The most important aspect of this work is the integration of traditional topographic techniques with the LIDAR technique. This integration was necessary because of the complexity of the object that was to be surveyed (many decorative details, poorly illuminated objects and no available scaffoldings) and of the requested short times necessary to realize the survey. The tools implemented in the new Sir-IO software (realized by a DITAG research group of the Politecnico di Torino) were of great help in this work. In fact, thanks to this software, it was possible to directly plot the details that were to be surveyed on the realized solid images and orthophotos, thus making the preparation of the survey graphic drawings considerably easier.