BIM-to-field in Solothurn

Will robots soon replace people on building sites? “No!” says Bouygues Energies & Services. Nevertheless, the use of robots on the basis of BIM offers various benefits for all involved in specific situations, as the employment of the Hilti Jaibot on the RiverNest building site in Zuchwil proves.

The application of building information modelling in the building industry is happening more slowly in Switzerland than in other countries. Nonetheless, the methodology is also starting to take off here. “BIM-to-field” describes the transfer of digital planning data to the building site. Its use helps minimise planning risks and avoid sources of error. The benefits are evident: correct execution on building sites and a considerable increase in project efficiency. And then there’s the contribution made to improving occupational health and safety, which shouldn’t be underestimated. But what exactly do BIM-to-field projects look like?

In the Jurasüdfuss region, Bouygues Energies & Services is successfully using BIM-to-field in the RiverNest new build project in the Riverside area in Zuchwil. The competence centre for renewable energy, which will also function as the headquarters of the Helion business unit, is currently being erected on the site situated by the Aare river. The project encompasses a light-filled and ecological lightweight construction made of wood, which is being built on the existing warehouse on site. The new location is set to combine the company’s various areas of expertise from autumn 2022.

Ebru Daniskan is the CAD-BIM Coordinator at Bouygues Energies & Services in the region. In this role, she is responsible for the planning of the fabrication models and field links (drilling points) for the building technology systems in the RiverNest new build. On the basis of the coordination and execution plans for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrics, she modelled the fundamental principles for the prefabrication of the pipes and fastening points. For the team headed by Yves Kessler, HVAC Area Manager at Bouygues Energies & Services in the Jurasüdfuss region, the digital basis ultimately formed the foundation for setting up a logistics concept and for ordering all materials for the construction of the systems in the required quantity and sizes.

However, in the project in Zuchwil, BIM-to-field was not merely limited to the planning and provision of the prefabricated pipes and fittings. During the new build project, Bouygues Energies & Services in the Jurasüdfuss region also used the semi-autonomous “Jaibot” from Hilti for a wooden construction for the first time ever in Switzerland. Monitored by Ebru Daniskan, the Jaibot worked its way through the premises based on the digital planning data and drilled all holes required for the installation of the suspended parts. It operated independently within a given radius and also marked the drilled holes for the respective trade. Once it had carried out all drilling procedures within its radius, Ebru Daniskan quickly manoeuvred it a few metres further on using a remote control, where it realised the next drilling processes.

Even though the Jaibot is not “juflet” in its execution, it is much quicker than an employee made of flesh and blood and avoids misinterpreting the planning data. In conjunction with the Bouygues Energies & Services logistics concept, its use enables a considerable increase in efficiency. Yves Kessler illuminates this in concrete terms through an experience he had several years ago. A fitter had to move the climbing equipment, climb up and climb back down again for every single hole drilled. “It ate up an incredible amount of time, as you can imagine, and it involved a degree of danger. What’s more, this traditional approach can result in errors creeping in unintentionally, which can in turn lead to further efficiency losses,” he explains. “Thanks to the use of the Jaibot and our logistics concept based on BIM, we were able to reduce idle time to a minimum and increase productivity considerably. This doesn’t mean that we no longer need fitters on building sites. We need our well-trained personnel, but on suitable building sites we no longer require them for ‘menial tasks’ like drilling holes. This provides us with a feeling of complete confidence for future projects.”