Joint Position Paper Issued by bSD, AdV, and BDVI: Officially Geobased Data for Digital Construction Buildings
Three Organizations Advocate for Uniform Standards in Digital Construction
buildingSMART Germany (bSD), the Association of Surveying Authorities of the Federal States (AdV), and the Association of Chartered Surveyors (BDVI) have collectively released a position paper on May 23, 2025, advocating for the utilization of official geobasis data as a foundation for digital processes in planning, construction, and operation.
The collaborative initiative aims to promote the integration of geobasis data into digital construction processes by establishing common standards for data exchange between Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Modeling (BIM). This joint effort aspires to speed up and streamline the digitalization of the construction sector.
According to the position paper, the construction industry's rapid transition towards digitalization calls for new demands in surveying that could influence most geodetic specialist procedures participating in planning, construction, and operation processes. By combining their respective competencies—bSD's expertise in digital planning and construction, AdV's role as the coordinator of official German surveying, and BDVI's representation of chartered surveyors—the three organizations seek to address these demands.
The core of the paper proposes the concept of "Digital Twins" to enable integrated GIS- and BIM-based planning. To achieve this, it emphasizes the need to connect "geobasis twins" of the surveying authorities with "special twins" (such as pipeline cadaster, street cadaster, and land use plans) so that they can effectively respond to specific questions using these twins.
The position paper also outlines several key requests stemming from users' experiences with the use of official geobasis data, including the need for unified data structures, comprehensive and interoperable provision of geobasis data, and the development of standards for the return of semantic building models in geoinformation. Future steps will involve assessing the feasibility and efficiency of realizing these wishes.
Prof. Dr. Cornelius Preidel, Chairman of the Board of buildingSMART Germany, Gunther Woelfle, Managing Director of bSD, Karin Schultze from AdV, and Clemens Kiepke, representing BDVI's Vice-President Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Brüggemann, have all signed the paper, marking an essential milestone in the digital transformation of the construction and surveying industries.
The position paper can be downloaded for free at https://buildingsmart-verlag.de/produkt/amtliche-geobasisdaten/
About buildingSMART Germany
For three decades, buildingSMART Germany has functioned as a competence network driving the digitalization of the construction and real estate sector and Open BIM. Its diverse membership includes over 800 companies, research and educational institutes, authorities, public institutions, private individuals, and students and trainees in various construction and real estate industries. Committed to shaping digitalization successfully, buildingSMART members collaborate on the development of open and manufacturer-neutral standards for digital methods and solutions, bringing their efforts to the global level through buildingSMART International. With 14 regional groups, buildingSMART members actively exchange knowledge and experience in the broad field through local and regional networks, contributing to the development of efficient and user-friendly solutions and standards for a sustainable digitalization of the construction and real estate industry in Germany. You may find more information at www.buildingsmart.de
Through the collaborative efforts of buildingSMART Germany, the Association of Surveying Authorities of the Federal States (AdV), and the Association of Chartered Surveyors (BDVI), a position paper was released, advocating for the integration of science and technology in digital construction processes by establishing common standards for data exchange between Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Modeling (BIM).
Recognizing the need for unified data structures and comprehensive provision of geobasis data, the position paper also proposes the development of standards for the return of semantic building models in geoinformation, emphasizing the potential benefits of science and technology to streamline the digital construction sector.
