New as well as old buildings within Reburg are completely digitised. This means that a digital twin has been constructed, in order to share building information with building professionals and to simulate use/transformation scenarios by supporting decision-making. Information sharing is done through the use of Building Information Models (BIM), or 3D models with intelligent, structured data attached to them.
For new buildings digitisation already starts at the design stage, where building system developers (manufacturers), configurators (architects & engineers), (dis)assemblers (contractors) and building stock managers (facilitators) share information on product and building (use) specifications. Managing this information enables all parties to select fit for purpose products (solutions) and make sound design decisions. These BIM are also used in later life cycle stages, as data on the historic and current use of building products – coupled to the BIM via materials passports – can help building stock and component wizards to maintain buildings and replace building products in a more effective way. All this information is used within circular building assessment tools, to support decision-making.
The fact that the same BIM can be used during the entire life cycle of the building revolutionised the traditional construction industry, where information used to be scattered and lost over time, as most information was being kept on paper or individual computers and servers.
Developing BIM of old, existing buildings was not easy. With the help of high-tech scanning devices, the geometrical characteristics and composition of the existing buildings was digitised. With the long history of Reburg, this was a gigantic task. In fact, the same techniques are currently used to map all (old) sewage systems and other infrastructure. Soon, a complete digital 3D map of Reburg will be available.
Digitizing the entire building stock could not have been done without a strategic policy plan. From the beginning of the 21st century, Reburg’s urban planning administration took a step-wise approach in which BIM were systematically created for public buildings, through public procurement, and afterwards BIM was also made mandatory for private buildings, large and small.
More information about building information modelling can be found on the BAMB 2020 website.
