When the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure published the “Phased Plan Digital Planning and Construction” (Stufenplan Digitales Planen und Bauen) [1] in 2015, the course of action was clear: infrastructure construction was to be digitalized within 10 years. The main focus of this initiative was on Building Information Modeling (BIM), as this technology was seen as having the greatest potential to support the initiative. BIM is to be implemented in German infrastructure projects in three phases (preparatory phase, extended pilot phase, BIM Level 1 for newly planned projects). In the same year, Deutsche Bahn (DB) published the first VR-I-BIM strategy based on the phased plan, which has since been updated for 2019 [2] and 2025 [3]. 

Figure 1 illustrates the three phases outlined in the VR-I-BIM strategy, which have been and continue to be implemented primarily by DB InfraGO AG (DB-IG). In the first phase, “Convergence,” the goal is to build expertise in the use of BIM across various project phases (LPHs) among all parties involved in construction projects. The “Digital Competence” phase aims to establish end-to-end digital processes from design planning through to facility management. In the final phase, “Digital Transformation,” BIM is to be established as the standard practice and fully implemented.

This phase has already been nearly achieved in the design planning stage (LPH 3 according to HOAI). In other LPHs, however, there is still a lack of standardization, as well as experience and know-how regarding how BIM should be used in various use cases (AWFs) and which AWFs would be useful for a specific project. The desired end-to-end digital processes therefore do not yet exist after LPH 3. This results in information loss across the LPHs, which can lead to more errors in the individual steps and, consequently, to defects in execution. In addition, the efficiency of the entire planning and construction process is reduced.

DB-IG recognized these issues and subsequently launched the “BIM2Build” pilot program, comprising 17 pilot projects designed to test BIM during the construction phases (Phase 5, construction planning, and Phase 8, construction supervision) [4]. As many of the AWFs defined by DB [5] as possible were to be implemented in these projects. The test program expired at the end of 2025; some of the pilot projects had already been completed by then, while many are still in progress.

In the final months of the test program, it was accompanied by the mFUND research project “BIM Processes for the Construction of Rail Infrastructure Projects – BIM2Build.” The one-year research project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV), aimed to draw conclusions from the data of the pilot projects and derive recommendations for the standardization of BIM in the construction of infrastructure projects. The Technical University of Dresden (Institute for Structural Engineering), MKP GmbH, and A+S Consult GmbH were involved in the project. 

[1]        Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur, ed., Stufenplan Digitales Planen und Bauen, (2015). bmdv.bund.de/SharedDocs/DE/Publikationen/DG/stufenplan-digitales-bauen.pdf.

[2]        DB AG, BIM-Strategie Implementierung von Building Information Modeling (BIM) im Vorstandsressort Infrastruktur der Deutschen Bahn AG – erste Fortschreibung, (2019). www.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/3985436/edf737542c2ee3bc3ea17173f5af33aa/Implementierung-von-BIM-im-VR-I-data.pdf.

[3]        DB AG, Von BIM zum digitalen Anlagenlebenszyklus - Strategie der DB-Infrastruktur, (2025). www1.deutschebahn.com/resource/blob/13499538/e5998beaf1bab805730a8ed8b36741e5/Von-BIM-zum-digitalen-Anlagenlebenszyklus-data.pdf.

[4]        DB InfraGO AG, BIM2Build - Das Testprogramm für BIM in der Bauausführung, (n.d.). bim.dbinfrago.com/bim-fahrweg/BIM-Weiterentwicklung/BIM2Build-Das-Testprogramm-fuer-BIM-in-der-Bauausfuehrung-13023790 (accessed May 12, 2025).

[5]        DB InfraGO AG, BIM-Anwendungsfälle, (n.d.). bim.dbinfrago.com/bim-fahrweg/BIM-Standards/BIM-Anwendungsfaelle-5536960 (accessed June 17, 2025).