January 28, 2021

With his final thesis "Nutzen- & Vorteilsanalyse der BIM-basierten Planung von innerstädtischen Haltestellen im Vergleich zur konventionellen Planung am Referenzprojekt 'Haltestelle Augartenstraße' in Karlsruhe", Christian Reichart, graduate of the master's program in civil engineering, was awarded 3rd place at the BIM Award 2021 on January 25, 2021, along with prize money of 2,000 euros. The prize is awarded annually as part of the Virtual Academy A6. The "Virtual Academy A6" was founded in 2017 as part of the project "Availability Model BAB A6 AS Wiesloch/Rauenberg - AK Weinsberg" with the professors and universities involved. In the academy, activities such as excursions, project work, internships or student theses in and around the PPP project are centrally coordinated and designed.

This year, in addition to HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions, the Academy was also able to win JOHANN BUNTE Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG and Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF) as benefactors, who provided a total of EUR 15,000 in prize money. Due to the current circumstances, the presentation of the BIM Award by Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport in Baden-Württemberg, took place digitally - in keeping with the overarching theme of "Digitization in Construction."

In addition to Christian Reichert, five other students from various universities who have achieved outstanding results with their projects or theses on the topic of Building Information Modeling (BIM) were honored. Together, their work continues to drive research in the field of digitalization, particularly in road construction. Minister Hermann: "The interest of students in the subject is growing steadily. The results of the BIM Award competition will help us make further progress in this field with a new generation of professionals."

This also suits his goal of introducing the BIM method in Baden-Württemberg's road sector in the medium term. Digitalization offers the road sector in particular the chance to remain fit for the future, according to Transport Minister Hermann. He further affirmed, "We would like to bring about a nationwide implementation of innovative tools from individual areas of innovation and pilot projects."

The three-member jury, made up of members of the A6 Virtual Academy and chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Herrmann Hütter, dean of the master's degree program in construction management at the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, was able to choose from 15 final theses and projects submitted. The members of the Virtual Academy A6 are particularly pleased that this award ceremony can enter its fourth year with a sustained high level of interest. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Christian Jünger, Head of the Institute for Construction Management at the University of Stuttgart and representative of the members of the Virtual Academy A6: "We are very proud of the work of the Virtual Academy A6 and the fact that the BIM Award has become a permanent fixture in the annual calendar of the Minister of Transport and in all colleges and universities of the members of the Virtual Academy A6 in Baden-Württemberg. We have created a platform that ideally combines science and practice in construction for the benefit of all involved."