The construction industry is undergoing a digital revolution of its own. Among the most significant advances is BIM (building information modeling), a sort of evolving 3D digital model (see photo) that captures and documents all the physical and functional characteristics of a built structure.

But there is much more to BIM than that. “It is a series of multidisciplinary processes that are deployed throughout the design, construction and use of a building”, explains Christian Erik Peter, managing director of the Fribourg-based company Element SA, the Swiss market leader in precast concrete building components.

In addition to improved operational efficiency and enhanced collaboration between the various trades working on any given construction site, BIM also helps to raise the technical and environmental performance of building projects, stabilizes processes and leads to greater cost transparency. The recent collaborative project BIM-UP, based in the canton of Fribourg and launched by the Building Innovation Cluster, brings together some 15 private and institutional partners to explore ways to support construction and facility management companies as they transition to digital. According to Peter, “Element SA is at the forefront of BIM-related technological developments, but we still have a long way to go before they are fully integrated into all small and medium-sized companies in our sector.”