This open access book focuses on the development of methods, interoperable and integrated ICT tools, and survey techniques for optimal management of the building process. The construction sector is facing an increasing demand for major innovations in terms of digital dematerialization and technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, advanced manufacturing, robotics, 3D printing, blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence. The demand for simplification and transparency in information management and for the rationalization and optimization of very fragmented and splintered processes is a key driver for digitization. The book describes the contribution of the ABC Department of the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano) to R&D activities regarding methods and ICT tools for the interoperable management of the different phases of the building process, including design, construction, and management. Informative case studies complement the theoretical discussion. The book will be of interest to all stakeholders in the building process – owners, designers, constructors, and faculty managers – as well as the research sector.

From 2nd to 5th October 2012 an International Congress on Science and Technology for the conservation of Cultural Heritage was held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, organized by the Universidade of Santiago de Compostela on behalf of TechnoHeritage Network. The congress was attended by some 160 participants from 10 countries, which presented a total of 145 contributions among plenary lectures, oral, and poster communications. The congress was dedicated to eight topics, namely (1) Environmental assessment and monitoring (pollution, climate change, natural events, etc.) of Cultural Heritage; (2) Agents and mechanisms of deterioration of Cultural Heritage (physical, chemical, biological), including deterioration of modern materials used in Contemporary Art and information storage; (3) Development of new instruments, non invasive technologies and innovative solutions for analysis, protection and conservation of Cultural Heritage; (4) New products and materials for conservation and maintenance of Cultural Heritage; (5) Preservation of industrial and rural heritage from the 19th and 20th centuries; (6) Security technologies, Remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems for protection and management of Cultural Heritage; (7) Significance and social value of Cultural Heritage; and (8) Policies for conservation of Cultural Heritage. This volume publishes a total of ninety-three contributions which reflect some of the most recent responses to the challenge of cultural assets conservation.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date overview on the most pressing issues in the conservation and management of archaeological, architectural, and urban landscapes. Multidisciplinary research is presented on a wide range of built heritage sites, from archaeological ruins and historic centers through to twentieth century and industrial architectural heritage. The role of ICT and new technologies, including those used for digital archiving, surveying, modeling, and monitoring, is extensively discussed, in recognition of their importance for professionals working in the field. Detailed attention is also paid to materials and treatments employed in preventive conservation and management. With contributions from leading experts, including university researchers, professionals, and policy makers, the book will be invaluable for all who seek to understand, and solve, the challenges face d in the protection and enhancement of the built heritage.

This open access book offers a summary of the development of Digital Earth over the past twenty years. By reviewing the initial vision of Digital Earth, the evolution of that vision, the relevant key technologies, and the role of Digital Earth in helping people respond to global challenges, this publication reveals how and why Digital Earth is becoming vital for acquiring, processing, analysing and mining the rapidly growing volume of global data sets about the Earth. The main aspects of Digital Earth covered here include: Digital Earth platforms, remote sensing and navigation satellites, processing and visualizing geospatial information, geospatial information infrastructures, big data and cloud computing, transformation and zooming, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and social media. Moreover, the book covers in detail the multi-layered/multi-faceted roles of Digital Earth in response to sustainable development goals, climate changes, and mitigating disasters, the applications of Digital Earth (such as digital city and digital heritage), the citizen science in support of Digital Earth, the economic value of Digital Earth, and so on. This book also reviews the regional and national development of Digital Earth around the world, and discusses the role and effect of education and ethics. Lastly, it concludes with a summary of the challenges and forecasts the future trends of Digital Earth. By sharing case studies and a broad range of general and scientific insights into the science and technology of Digital Earth, this book offers an essential introduction for an ever-growing international audience.

The third International congress of Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, TechnoHeritage 2017, was held in Cadiz, from 21 to 24 May 2017, under the umbrella of the TechnoHeritage network. TechnoHeritage is an initiative funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity dedicated to the creation of a network which integrates CSIC and University groups, private companies and end users such as foundations, museums or institutions. The network’s purpose is to foster the creation of transdisciplinary (and not only multidisciplinary) initiatives focused on the study of all assets, movable or immovable, that make up Cultural Heritage. A high-quality scientific programme was prepared, which includes new emerging topics on Cultural Heritage (1) Nanomaterials and other Products for Conservation, (2) New Technologies for Analysis, Protection and Conservation, (3) 20th Century Cultural Heritage, (4) Significance of Cultural Heritage. Policies for Conservation, (5) Deterioration of Cultural Heritage, (6) Biodeterioration: Fundamentals, Present and Future Perspectives and (7) Underwater Cultural Heritage. A special session "Biodeterioration: Fundamentals, present and future perspectives, a session in honour of Prof. Cesáreo Sáiz Jiménez" took place. Our intention was to recognise the work of Prof. Sáiz Jiménez, who recently retired, and its impact on the Cultural Heritage conservation community, which he has helped to promote through numerous activities including, in 2011, the creation of the TechnoHeritage network. This volume publishes a total of eighty-three contributions which reflect the state of the art investigations on different aspects of cultural heritage conservation.

This collection presents a wide range of interdisciplinary methods to study, document, and conserve material cultural heritage. A wide variety of cultural heritage objects have been recorded, examined, and visualised. The objects range in date, scale, materials, and state of preservation and so pose different research questions and challenges for digitization, conservation, and ontological representation of knowledge. This book is an outcome of interdisciplinary research and debates conducted by the participants of the COST Action TD1201, Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage, 2012-16 and is an Open Access publication available under a CC BY-NC-ND licence.