An Integrated Framework for the Rehabilitation of War-Damaged Public Buildings using BIM, AI, VR, and AR Technologies

• Bassel Alhassan

  Hama University , Midocean University

• Batoul Alsaadi

  Hama University

• Alaa Barazi

  Hama University

• Alzharaa Merza

  Hama University

• Amal Esmail

  Hohai University

In the context of Syria, a nation grappling with protracted conflict, the imperative for reha-bilitation efforts is paramount, particularly in the context of the extensive damage to nu-merous public buildings. Conventional rehabilitation methodologies frequently depend on labour-intensive manual techniques, which are further complicated by the loss of data per-taining to damaged structures. The present document offers a technological and technical framework for the rehabilitation of public buildings that have been damaged by armed con-flict. The framework utilizes Building Information Modeling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. The framework under consideration is comprised of two phases. The initial phase employs statistical methodolo-gies to assess damaged components and propose technological solutions. The subsequent phase utilizes AI-based generative design techniques to formulate novel post-restoration visions. The verification of these designs is then facilitated through immersive simulations that uti-lize virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), thereby enabling the selection of opti-mal design alternatives. The proposed framework was applied to a case study of a damaged building in Hama, Syria. This application demonstrated the framework's effectiveness in improving the rehabilitation process and decision-making. The results of the study indicate the viability of incorporating advanced technologies into restoration projects with the ob-jective of enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and stakeholder communication. Furthermore, the integration of such technologies can facilitate training for engineers and students enrolled in engineering colleges. In accordance with the principles of transparency and reproduci-bility, the source code and ancillary materials are disseminated via GitHub^[1] . This dissemi-nation encompasses evaluation results and step-by-step documentation, thereby ensuring the highest standards of transparency and reproducibility.

[1] https://github.com/baToul214batou/An-Integrated-Framework-for-the-Rehabilitation-of-War-Damaged-Public-Buildings-.git

Akbarzada, S., & Mackey, T. K. (2018). The Syrian public health and humanitarian crisis: A ‘displacement’ in global governance? Global Public Health, 13(7), 914–930. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2017.1285338

Alghurair, M. S., & Fahim, A. R. (2023). The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering Applications and Programs. Journal of Engineering Sciences and Information Technology, 7(3), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.26389/AJSRP.K270723

Alhassan, B., Omran, J., & Jrad, F. (2025). Support decision-making in maintenance work using data mining in BIM environment and virtual reality. 030001. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0301231

Alhassan, B., Omran, J. Y., & Fayez Ali Jrad. (2019). Enhancing Public Buildings Maintenance Using Integration Between Knowledge Management and BIM. International Journal of Information Systems and Social Change, 10(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJISSC.2019070101

Almohamad, H., Knaack, A. L., & Habib, B. M. (2018). Assessing Spatial Equity and Accessibility of Public Green Spaces in Aleppo City, Syria. Forests, 9(11), 706. https://doi.org/10.3390/f9110706

Aluga, M. (2023). Application of CHATGPT in civil engineering. East African Journal of Engineering, 6(1), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.37284/eaje.6.1.1272

Braun, P., Grafelmann, M., Gill, F., Stolz, H., Hinckeldeyn, J., & Lange, A.-K. (2022). Virtual reality for immersive multi-user firefighter-training scenarios. Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware, 4(5), 406–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vrih.2022.08.006

Cheung, F., Kube, A., Tay, L., Diener, E., Jackson, J. J., Lucas, R. E., Ni, M. Y., & Leung, G. M. (2020). The impact of the Syrian conflict on population well-being. Nature Communications, 11(1), 3899. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17369-0

Elezovikj, S., Jia, J., Tan, C. C., & Ling, H. (2023). PartLabeling: A Label Management Framework in 3D Space. Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware, 5(6), 490–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vrih.2023.06.004

Giaretta, A. (2024). Security and privacy in virtual reality: a literature survey. Virtual Reality, 29(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01079-9

Harle, S. M. (2024). Advancements and challenges in the application of artificial intelligence in civil engineering: a comprehensive review. Asian Journal of Civil Engineering, 25(1), 1061–1078. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42107-023-00760-9

Jiang, Y., Hamadani, K., Ng, K., Ahmadinia, A., Aquino, A., Palacio, R., Huang, J., Macshane, J., & Hadaegh, A. (2024). Developing scalable hands-on virtual and mixed-reality science labs. Virtual Reality, 28(4), 173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01062-4

Kozlu, H., Çoruh, L., & Oke, A. (2021). Use of Augmented Reality in the Preservation of Architectural Heritage: Case of the Aqueduct Kuru Kopru (Kayseri, Turkey). Iconarp International J. of Architecture and Planning, 9(1), 110–130. https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2021.152

Kumar, M. (2021). Application of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering Projects. Mathematical Statistician and Engineering Applications, 70(1), 660–667. https://doi.org/10.17762/msea.v70i1.2521

Liu, Y., Lather, J., & Messner, J. (2014). Virtual Reality to Support the Integrated Design Process: A Retrofit Case Study. Computing in Civil and Building Engineering (2014), 801–808. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784413616.100

Rane, N., Choudhary, S., & Rane, J. (2024). Transforming the Civil Engineering Sector with Generative Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT or Bard. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4681718

Rankohi, S., Rezvani, M., Waugh, L., & Lei, Z. (2023). Augmented reality application areas for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. In Applications of Augmented Reality - Current State of the Art. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1002723

Saada, M., & Aslan, H. (2022). The effectiveness of applying BIM in increasing the accuracy of estimating quantities for public facilities rehabilitation projects in Syria after the war. International Journal of BIM and Engineering Science, 5(2), 08–18. https://doi.org/10.54216/IJBES.050201

Shams Abadi, S. T., Moniri Tokmehdash, N., Hosny, A., & Nik-Bakht, M. (2021). BIM-Based Co-Simulation of Fire and Occupants’ Behavior for Safe Construction Rehabilitation Planning. Fire, 4(4), 67. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire4040067

THE TOLL OF WAR THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA. (2017). https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/811541499699386849/pdf/117331-WP-v2-PUBLIC-The-Toll-of-War.pdf

Thibodeau, C., Bataille, A., & Sié, M. (2019). Building rehabilitation life cycle assessment methodology–state of the art. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 103, 408–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.12.037

United Nations. (2021). HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OVERVIEW SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/syria_2021_humanitarian_needs_overview.pdf

• HTML

• PDF

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

• Building and Construction
• Project Management

Copyright (c) 2025 Bassel Alhassan, Batoul Alsaadi, Alaa Barazi, Alzharaa Merza, Amal Esmail

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Open Access Licences
User rights
All articles published open access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download, copy and distribute.