Modelli di conoscenza e di simulazione per l' intervento impiantistico sul patrimonio storico / Knowledge and simulation model for MEP design in built heritage

The research presented in this paper aims at developing a modeling framework that integrates a BIM environment and a knowledge base defined through ontologies whose purpose is to represent homogeneously and manage in one extended model all the knowledge necessary for an accurate planning of MEP intervention on built heritage. In the cornplex field of historical buildings the normative approach has proven to date not only its inefficiency in ensuring the quality of assistance, but also its limitations in decision support during the design process. The balance between the instances derived from the necessity of preservation of the historical architectural artifact and those related to its functional and technological renewal is hampered by current regulations that limit the decision-making power of the designer and his generai ability to reach innovative and high quality solutions. In this context, the proposed model extends its boundaries through the definition of the technological components of the MEP system, their performance and their spatial location, to a broader modeling approach that can include not only the entire building components but also the knowledge related to the context in which it is located, to the processes ofuse and the profiles of its future users. For this reason, we chose to integrate the BIM environment with a knowledge management system based on ontologies, previously developed by the research team, able to provide a "higher" level of semantic representation of the knowledge related to the building and promote collaboration among specialists during the intervention design process. This modeling approach allows not only to foresee the planned intervention on the building and to verify the performance of its technological components but to simulate the phenomena of re-use, both in terms of efficiency of its functioning, both by deterrnining the possible effects that this could have on the preservation of the building and its context.