In a context where digital and remote exchanges are becoming increasingly important, the European BIM4Ren project has launched its series of webinars on the issue of BIM in energy renovation works.
Held on Tuesday May 26th, the first BIM4Ren webinar, entitled “Meet BIM4Ren: easy-to-use BIM tools for renovation”, aimed to introduce construction professionals and BIM experts to the team behind BIM4Ren. It was the opportunity to learn first-hand from our experts about the concept, ideas and philosophy behind this initiative and with more than 135 registrants, this edition was a very successful and encouraging start!
Moderated by the European Builders Confederation (EBC), responsible for the communication and dissemination of the partnership, the programme included the following presentations:
The construction sector and the need for easy-to-use digital tools
EBC explained the general context in which BIM4Ren operates, namely a sector which is among the least digitalised in Europe, while the overwhelming majority is made of micro-enterprises (around 94 %) that need affordable and easy-to-use digital tools, especially for one of the most important market segments, energy retrofitting and buildings renovation. As sustainable and digital changes in the sector cannot be reached without the right inclusion of construction SMEs and craftsmen, EBC identified several barriers for SMEs regarding digital tools, to which BIM4Ren ambitions to provide solutions.
“Digitalisation can help improve the renovation rate from 1% to 3% a year by increasing productivity, increasing the traceability of materials when it comes to circular economy but also the calculation of energy efficiency.”
Eugenio Quintieri, Secretary General EBC
The BIM4Ren Concept
The coordinator of BIM4Ren, the French research centre NOBATEK/INEF 4, continued by sharing the ambition of the project and the methodology which aims to bring together different digital BIM tools in a single platform, based on tests and demonstrations carried out on three pilot sites in France, Italy and Spain. The final objective is to enable construction SMEs and the entire value chain to carry out their renovation projects faster, in an environmentally responsible, efficient and collaborative manner. To this end, in addition to research and technological developments, training sessions will be first set up for the national members of EBC and the pilot sites actors, before opening the training programme to the whole community of BIM4Ren stakeholders.
“When we speak abut BIM, so many people think about a 3D models, complex tools, expensive tools…We try to think differently. As a starting point, we think that BIM is more than a digital solution, it’s a collaborative process. It’s a methodology to help people work together, exchanging information easily.”
Pierre Bourreau, Nobatek/INEF4
The potential of BIM for renovation
Finally, Professor Jakob Beetz from the RWTH University of Aachen explained why BIM has a real potential for improvement in energy retrofitting. Today focused on the new buildings, BIM is not sufficiently exploited for renovation while tools exist for data capture, data procession, object recognition, geometrical design, in short a BIM that allows to update the data of a building as it was built. He added that BIM4Ren is looking at IFC and ISO standards for exchange formats as well as cloud-based management models.
“The necessary revitalization of the existing building stock is exactly where there’s a large untapped potential of this whole market for BIM and their applications.”
Jakob Beetz, RWTH Aachen University
These presentations were followed by exchanges with the audience on the challenges faced by BIM4Ren such as data storage limitations, reluctance for digitalisation, obsolescence of some buildings or data management issues.
This webinar series is a key tool of the BIM4Ren stakeholder community. Also presented on this occasion, this community gathers the partnership and all stakeholders interested in participating in BIM4Ren events or monitoring its activities in general. Flexible, open to all, do not hesitate to contact us for more information or to directly express your interest in collaborating with us!
This webinar series is a key tool of the BIM4Ren stakeholder community. Also presented on this occasion, this community gathers the partnership and all stakeholders interested in participating in BIM4Ren events or monitoring its activities in general. Flexible, open to all, do not hesitate to contact us for more information or to directly express your interest in collaborating with us!
