Figure 1
Selection and evaluation processes in the PRISMA protocol followed by the authors (source: own elaboration).
Figure 2
Results using search strings before canceling repetition in results. Word cloud produced from paper abstracts. Source: authors’ elaboration generated through WordArt.
Table 1
Search strings used in Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases.
| DATABASE | SEARCH STRINGS | NUMBER OF RESULTS | FILTER TOOLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scopus | “Finite Element Methods” AND “Laser Scanning” “Heritage bridges” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Archeological sites” “Archeological Sites” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Structural Health Monitoring” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Arches Bridges” “Arch” AND “Terrestrial Laser Scanning” “Arch” AND “Finite Element Methods” | 3951 | Year: until 2023 (the search start year was not specified, it was left open) Document type: article Subject area: Engineering Materials Science Physics and Astronomy Environmental Science Social Sciences Arts and Humanities Multidisciplinary Source type: journal English language |
| Web of Science | “Finite Element Methods” AND “Laser Scanning” “Heritage bridges” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Archeological sites” “Archeological Sites” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Structural Health Monitoring” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Arches Bridges” “Arch” AND “Terrestrial Laser Scanning” “Arch” AND “ Finite Element Methods” | 1422 | Year: until 2023 Document type: article, review article Subject area: Engineering Civil or Construction Building Technology or Materials Science Multidisciplinary or Engineering Multidisciplinary or Engineering Geological or Geosciences Multidisciplinary or Multidisciplinary Sciences or Environmental Sciences or Engineering Environmental or Metallurgy Metallurgical Engineering or Water Resources or Architecture or Green Sustainable Science Technology or Geology or Remote Sensing or Environmental Studies or Imaging Science Photographic Technology or Physics Multidisciplinary Source type: journal English language |
| ScienceDirect | “Finite Element Methods” AND “Laser Scanning” “Heritage bridges” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Archeological sites” “Archeological Sites” AND “Laser Scanning” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Structural Health Monitoring” “Finite Element Methods” AND “Arches Bridges” “Arch” AND “Terrestrial Laser Scanning” “Arch” AND “ Finite Element Methods” | 2653 | Year: until 2023 Document type: research article, review article Subject area: Engineering Physics and Astronomy Materials Science Earth and Planetary Sciences Source type: journal English language |
Table 2
Total number of papers after removing duplication between the results of the three databases.
| DATABASE | NUMBER OF RESULTS |
|---|---|
| Scopus | 3368 |
| Web of Science | 1239 |
| ScienceDirect | 2193 |
| Total | 6800 |
Table 3
Filtering results based on abstract and methodology, etc.
| RESEARCH PROCESS | NUMBER |
|---|---|
| Papers and articles extracted from databases, after removing duplication | 6800 |
| Papers and articles after the articles not related to the main research area (FEM methodology, heritage bridges, etc.) | 1730 |
| Papers and articles after reading the abstract | 729 |
| Papers and articles after reading the methodology | 366 |
| Papers and articles after reading the results | 213 |
| Papers and articles after reading the conclusions | 87 |
| Papers and articles accepted for systematic review | 60 |
Figure 3
Map of intensity of research among countries (Source: author’s elaboration, created with VOSviewer).
Figure 4
Map of Research collaborations across various countries (source: authors’ elaboration, created with VOSviewer).
Figure 5
Country of first authors of the analyzed publications.
Figure 6
Number of articles published per year.
Table 4
Classification and analysis of articles by type of research approach.
| RESEARCH APPROACH | DATA SOURCE | RESEARCH AIM |
|---|---|---|
| Qualitative 9 Articles | Descriptive 2 Articles | Primary 57 Articles |
| Quantitative 11 Articles | Exploratory 29 Articles | Secondary 3 Articles |
| Mixed 40 Articles | Casual 5 Articles | – |
| – | Mixed 34 Articles | – |
Table 5
Overview of the Thematic Analysis (Category, codes, and Themes).
| CATEGORY | CODES | THEMES |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Assessment and Preservation Strategies for Architectural Heritage | deteriorations, restoration, reconstruction, structural analysis, damages, cracks, damage, strength, failure modes, Structural Assessment, stress analysis | Structural assessment |
| 3D Laser Scanning and Finite Element Analysis in Structural Assessment and Structural Health Monitoring. | 3D laser scanning, Finite Element Analysis, point clouds, 3D scans, 3D accurate, noise point, Surface fitting, Reconstruction modules, mesh, cloud-to-BIM-to-FEM. | Cloud2FEM |
| Structures Using Advanced Modeling and Analysis | Modeling, 3D models, Numerical model, displacements, vertical and horizontal loads, high-density | Modeling |
| Deformation Analysis and Non-Destructive Testing for Structural Evaluation | Deformation analysis, LiDAR, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Deformation measurement, Extraction, boundary conditions, stress concentration | deformation |
| Documentation Techniques and Monitoring for Site Visualization and Reconstruction | Monitoring, Techniques, Visualization and Reconstruction, resolution, visual sensitivity maps. | Techniques |
| Numerical Modeling and Vulnerability Assessment of Massive Masonry Structures | Masonry structure, Vulnerability, Assessment, deformation, A target structure. | Diagnostic |
| Documentation, Preservation, and Restoration Strategies Using LiDAR and GIS | LiDAR, GIS, Data acquisition, Photogrammetry, reconstruction, deformations, damages, machine learning, recurrent neural networks (RNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM). | Digital Twins (DTs) |