Nowadays, built environment management is becoming more and more oriented to the systematization of knowledge through integrated systems based on three-dimensional parametric representation. As reported in the literature and international projects, this approach is increasingly deepened and declined in the Italian and European context. The reference existing heritage requires considerable care from the point of view of maintenance, monitoring and preservation, even concerning catastrophic natural events. Moreover, buildings with historical and artistic value often host strategic functions fundamental for the community, such as public offices, hospitals, schools, power plants. For this reason, the adoption of streamlined procedures for the organization and retrieval of available documentation plays a key role whenever it is necessary to carry out interventions on these infrastructures.

The testing of integrated BIM (Building Information Modelling) - FEM (Finite Element Modelling) processes for knowledge, modelling, management, and structural analysis activities establishes a multidisciplinary research field that enriches traditional investigation practices. The seismic vulnerability assessment is set from a digital model conceived as a collector of information updated over time, valuable to return a coherent representation of state of the art and to map the level of knowledge of the asset in an appropriate and shared way. This study aims to check the horizontal and vertical interoperability between Model Authoring and Structural Calculation software to optimize the workflow and guarantee a correct information transfer in the different environments. BIM methodology and tools are evaluated to standardize and speed up the survey procedure described by the regulations so that more resources can be invested in evaluating design interventions than in returning models. Some research involves methods of populating the BIM database to store significant information about the characteristics of the building and structural tests conducted or planned. The approach is validated through the application to a real case study: a hydroelectric power plant with a reinforced concrete structure. A linear dynamic analysis is conducted by comparing the modal forms of different models with different levels of detail through the Modal Assurance Criterion. The seismic vulnerability of the structure is finally evaluated through a non-linear static analysis.

Keywords: Building Information Modelling, Finite Element Modelling, Interoperability, seismic vulnerability, Level of Knowledge