Reusable Digital Workflows for Heritage Bridge Documentation, Conservation, and Presentation

Context and Challenges
Bath’s heritage bridges are a defining feature of the city’s landscape and a vital part of its UNESCO World Heritage identity. They reflect centuries of engineering skill and community development along the River Avon. Despite their cultural significance and value as key assets of infrastructure, many of these structures remain under-documented, and valuable information about their design, condition, and history is scattered. This fragmentation limits the ability of researchers, practitioners, and local authorities to undertake proactive, evidence-based conservation and long-term management.

This project will address this challenge by using advanced laser scanning technology to create accurate digital models of 5 heritage bridges across the City of Bath. The bridges have been selected based on their cultural significance, conservation relevance, material of construction, and practical accessibility to
ensure safe and efficient data capture. These scans will capture the bridges in high detail, producing 3D records that can be used for education, research, and conservation planning. The new digital data will be hosted at the HSDS repositories ensuring secure storage, long-term access, and future reuse.

Furthermore, the high-fidelity models will be integrated into an existing Geographic Information System (GIS) map of Bath’s bridges (https://uclm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/interactivelegend/index.html?appid=3e56e552b31c4056b188cae4324f5d17), previously developed in collaboration with the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and linked with historical documents currently being digitised by the Bath Record Office. By combining historical evidence with contemporary digital survey data, the project will improve understanding of bridge evolution, condition, and
vulnerability over time. This integrated approach will facilitate the generation of digital conservation tools (e.g. digital twins) for earlier identification of risks, support more targeted maintenance strategies, and ultimately contribute to reducing conservation costs and resource demands. Furthermore, the methodology developed will have the potential of being transferable and applied to other heritage bridges resulting in a wider and more valuable impact in the built heritage conservation sector.

The initiative brings together expertise from the University of Bath, Cardiff University, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, with the specialised technical support of University of Cardiff. This international partnership will strengthen Bath’s leadership in the field of
heritage conservation and digital innovation, while demonstrating how novel technology can be combined with the preservation and celebration of shared cultural heritage for future generations.

Objectives
The ultimate aim of this project is to develop a reusable digital workflow for the documentation, conservation, and public presentation of heritage bridges. By combining modern digital technologies with historical research, the project seeks to demonstrate how heritage bridges can be more effectively recorded, understood, and managed, creating approaches that can be reused by researchers, practitioners, and heritage organisations beyond this study. To achieve this the following objectives have been established:

• Objective 1 – Digitise heritage bridges as case studies: The project will record 5 selected heritage bridges in the City of Bath using high-resolution laser scanning. These bridges will serve as representative case studies to test and refine the proposed workflow, producing accurate and detailed digital records that support conservation planning, research, and education.
• Objective 2 – Create accessible and reusable digital data: All data generated through the project, including 3D models and associated records, will be securely hosted within HSDS repositories following FAIR principles. This will ensure that the data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable,
maximising their long-term value and enabling future research and professional reuse.
• Objective 3 – Integrate digital models with historical information: The project will link the new digital records with historical documentation (such as maps, drawings, and archival records) within an integrated GIS map of Bath’s bridges. This will provide a single, accessible digital platform that brings together spatial, historical, and technical information, supporting improved understanding, conservation decision-making, and public engagement.

Impact
The project will generate high-quality digital records that significantly enhance understanding of Bath’s heritage bridges and support their long-term care. By providing accurate and accessible digital models, the project will offer valuable tools for the generation of digital tools (e.g. digital twins) for conservation planning, condition assessment, and maintenance, enabling more informed and timely decision-making. This approach will help identify potential issues at an early stage, supporting more efficient use of resources and contributing to the sustainable management of these important heritage assets.

By focusing on bridges that combine historical significance with conservation need, the project will maximise public and professional benefit. The resulting digital resources will support local authorities, heritage professionals, and researchers, while also increasing public engagement with Bath’s heritage infrastructure through improved access to reliable and well-presented information. The project will build directly on ongoing collaboration with the Bath Record Office, linking newly created digital survey data with archival records to create a richer and more complete picture of each bridge’s history and evolution.

Beyond Bath, the project will demonstrate reusable digital workflows for the documentation and conservation of heritage bridges that can be applied in
other locations.