The Influence of Pathological Situations on Churches’ Functionality: An Approach Based on Historical Records

Abstract

This study identifies the main anomalies that may occur in historical buildings, analyzing their related causes, and estimating the influence of pathological situations on the buildings’ functionality. This information is essential to support qualified, conscientious, and sustainable rehabilitation interventions on sets of heritage buildings with homogeneous constructive characteristics. A fuzzy expert system was used to estimate the serviceability of buildings, performed based on historical records, over a long period of time, evaluating the influence of the pathological situations to establish the rehabilitation actions. The methodology includes 17 variables, (vulnerabilities and external risks damages), which determine a functionality index of the constructions analyzed. The application of historical data allows knowing the past behavior and performance of the buildings. These data can provide useful information for the definition of preventive maintenance plans, considering financial, social, and environmental requirements and their more frequent anomalies. A total of 390 records in a sample of 20 parish churches located in southwestern Spain were gathered. This study discussed the effects of the most common anomalies observed in these buildings, concluding that controlling moisture and timber-related anomalies is crucial to ensure the building’s serviceability over time. © 2017 Taylor & Francis.