Research on HBIM-Based Preventive Conservation of Architectural Heritage: A Case Study of Kaiping Diaolou

Architectural heritage faces multiple degradation risks, while traditional preventive conservation often falls short in information integration, dynamic analysis, and regional management. Moreover, existing HBIM research lacks systematic digital approaches for hybrid Sino-Western vernacular heritage. This study addresses these gaps by constructing a preventive conservation HBIM framework for Kaiping Diaolou. A customized parametric component library and a three-level coding system are developed, enabling systematic HBIM application in non-standardized contexts. Moving beyond digital archiving, a closed-loop workflow of “data acquisition → HBIM → multi-physics simulation → targeted intervention” is established, shifting HBIM’s core function from passive documentation to proactive risk forecasting. A value- and risk-driven principle is proposed to define LOD/LOI levels, allowing appropriate modeling resource allocation according to heritage significance and risk grades. A direct data-interaction workflow is developed between HBIM and multi-physics simulations (structural FEM, wind/CFD), enabling quantitative identification of structural weak points and high-risk environmental degradation areas. Enhanced visual expression methods, including 3D defect mapping and a “shadow-element and displacement-decomposition” structural exploded-view technique, are introduced to overcome the limitations of conventional 2D representations. The proposed framework and methods are validated through the case study of Ruishi Tower, demonstrating the feasibility of HBIM in heritage preventive conservation and providing a replicable pathway for the digital preservation of similar vernacular heritage.