Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) faces increasing risks from rapid social change, modernisation and limited resources for preservation. In this study, the roles of digital technologies (artificial intelligence, virtual reality and three-dimensional modelling) in enhancing the preservation, dissemination and sustainable use of ICH were examined. Data were collected through surveys of stakeholders (museum curators, researchers, policymakers and technology developers) and qualitative case studies. The analysis employed thematic coding, triangulation and correlation-based techniques to identify key determinants of technology adoption. The results showed that budget constraints and ethical concerns have negative effects on adoption, whereas awareness levels and willingness to invest demonstrate significant positive influences. A conceptual analytical framework is proposed to explain the relationships among socio-economic factors, stakeholder perceptions and digital preservation outcomes; regression analysis confirmed their predictive relevance. The findings highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, user participation and reliable digital infrastructure for effective ICH digitisation initiatives. This study contributes to digital heritage research by providing an evidence-based decision-support framework that quantitatively links adoption drivers and barriers with preservation quality. The proposed approach offers practical guidance for cultural institutions and policymakers seeking to design inclusive, scalable and ethically responsible digital strategies for safeguarding ICH in diverse regional and institutional contexts.
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Research Article|
April 15 2026
Three-dimensional modelling and virtual reconstruction for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage Available to Purchase
Lixia Zhao
College of Art and Design,
Inner Mongolia Technical College of Construction
, Hohhot, China
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Declarations Conflicts of interest The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Received:
October 08 2025
Accepted:
December 31 2025
Online ISSN: 1751-7702
Print ISSN: 0965-0911
Funding
Funding Group:
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): Digital Communication Path of Traditional Handicrafts in Inner Mongolia
- Award Id(s): NJSY23055
- Funder(s):
- Funding Statement(s): This work was supported by the Research Project of Higher Education Institutions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on the Digital Communication Path of Traditional Handicrafts in Inner Mongolia (project no. NJSY23055).
© 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited
2026
Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Structures and Buildings 1–14.
Article history
Received:
October 08 2025
Accepted:
December 31 2025
Citation
Zhao L (2026;), "Three-dimensional modelling and virtual reconstruction for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Structures and Buildings, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1680/jstbu.25.00209
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