In 2025, the Institute for Numerical Methods and Informatics in Civil Engineering (iib) once again participated in the Forum Bauinformatik, which this year was organized by the three chairs “Lehrstuhl für Bauinformatik und Geoinformationssysteme und Geodätisches Institut” (gia), the “Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Design Computation (DC)”, and the “Lehrstuhl für Energieeffizientes Bauen (E3D)” of RWTH Aachen. As every year, numerous researchers from the DACH region gathered to present and discuss scientific concepts and research results in the field of Bauinformatik. Across twelve sessions covering topic areas such as BIM, Digital Twins & Smart Cities, AI & Machine Learning, Sustainability & Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and Sensors & Robotics, a total of 59 contributions were presented and published in the conference proceedings of the 36th Forum Bauinformatik. These also include the four papers submitted by the iib, which are summarized below:

Laura Valderrama Niño presented the paper “Structured Databases for Heritage BIM-Enhancing Digital Documentation and Restoration Workflows” [Laura Marcela Valderrama Niño, Sabrina Becker] on a hybrid data architecture for Heritage BIM (HBIM). Their work demonstrates how combining NoSQL document storage with semantic graph databases, aligned with CIDOC CRM and FAIR principles, can enhance interoperability, restoration workflows, and long-term digital heritage documentation.

Pascal Mosler presented a software architecture that provides digital support for knowledge management in nuclear facilities such as nuclear power plants in the paper “BIM and Semantic Web: Key Enablers for Nuclear Knowledge Management?” [Pascal Mosler, Ahmed Han Karapinar, Benedikt Malte Hauke Broich, Theo Kastner-Guhl]. A building information model is integrated into a game engine, enriched with semantic data using semantic web technologies, and made accessible to users inside and outside the facility via an extended reality interface.

Marcel Heiß presented “Concept for digitally AI-readable buildings for urban mining based on digital building logbooks using large language models” [Marcel Heiß, Benedikt Kandler, Uwe Rüppel], a concept for expanding digital building logbooks through the use of large language models and retrieval-augmented generation. This approach enables the semantic indexing of previously unstructured documents and their conversion into machine-readable, dynamic data sets to support data-based decisions in urban mining.

Michael Disser's paper “BIKE-SCAN: A GIS Extension for Bicycle Infrastructure Safety Analysis Based on Street-Level Images” [Michael Disser] describes a GIS-based analysis tool that combines OpenStreetMap data, accident statistics, crowd-sourced sensor measurements and AI-supported evaluations of street images to enable detailed city-wide assessment of bicycle safety. Designed as a GIS extension, the system can be integrated directly into municipal planning processes and assists in data-driven decisions for safer cycle paths and intersections. Disser's work won one of three Best Paper Awards and thus a free publication of the paper in the journal “MDPI Infrastructures”.

In addition to the scientific exchange in the lecture rooms, conference participants also had the opportunity to visit the experimental halls during a guided tour and to explore Aachen’s city center and history through a city rally. Catering was, of course, well taken care of, with a BBQ on the first evening and the conference dinner at the “Postwagen zum Ratskeller”. The iib team would like to thank the organizing chairs of RWTH Aachen for the very well-organized conference and is already looking forward to the 37th Forum Bauinformatik in Rostock.