Application of biological growth risk models to the management of built heritage

The quality of the interior spaces
is strongly related to the hygro-thermal
conditions which affect the users’ comfort,
and may yield to preservation risk
for the built heritage. Moreover, careless
management of exposition spaces with
excessive occupancy may result in moisture
loads that promote degradation. In
this paper, as a case study, an exposition
hall representative of the built heritage is
considered. The microbiological growth
risk is investigated at two different climate
conditions, namely Milan and Barcelona,
considering varying ventilation rates and
number of visitors. The results outline the
need of policies informed by advanced
analyses to prevent hygro-thermal risk in
the absence of dedicated building services,
that cannot always be integrated in
built heritage.