BIM will be one of the key topics in Hall C5, how to build more cheaply and quickly will be another

The construction industry is making inextricable progress in digital transformation – in all phases of the planning and construction process, and for everyone involved. BAU 2023 trade fair in Munich, Germany, April 17 – 22, 2023, is giving the topic its own exhibition area: In Hall C5, companies will present the latest hardware and software solutions for planning and implementation. In forum C2, experts from planning and engineering offices will report on the digital transformation, and present current solutions using project examples on Friday, April 21.

The basis for digital transformation is the cloud. It enables large quantities of data to be stored in a central location. For construction projects, this often follows a BIM model, to which everyone involved has access. In this digital twin of the real building, all data is continually collected and managed. Changes can be carried out in real time. As a result there is transparency, and the planning and construction process is made more reliable, quicker and less susceptible to errors or misunderstandings.

Just as important as an understandable planning and construction process are time management and cost controls. Software tools that determine volumes using a BIM model and use this to calculate costs are already providing reliability in the planning phase.

Although the vast majority of the industry recognizes the added value of these technologies, less than half of German planning and construction companies consider themselves well positioned in terms of digitalization, as indicated by a study by business consulting firm PwC from December 2020. More than two thirds of those surveyed felt the need to catch up in terms of BIM.

How to build more cheaply and quickly

Another key topic of the BAU fair is modern and affordable living. Exhibitors will show how technological solutions can be used to build more cheaply and quickly. In the presentation program, representatives from the worlds of architecture and the housing industry will present strategies for modern and affordable living concepts.

In addition to conversion of existing spaces or buildings, unconventional ideas and flexible concepts are in demand, such as apartments above supermarkets or in parking lots. Another tried-and-tested means of creating living space is densification, i.e. closing vacant lots or adding stories to existing buildings. “Roof space is building space,” says German Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building Klara Geywitz.

Bau, Munich, April 17 – 22, 2023

(16.02.2023, USA: 02.16.2023)