Digital Planning, Construction Submission and Approval Processes in Austria

In Austria, standard A6241-2 created the normative basis for the exchange of model-based data in building construction and civil engineering in 2015. This technology – known internationally as Building Information Modelling (BIM) – is an essential building block for the digitization of the construction industry and has an impact on all those involved in the initiation, planning, construction and operation of buildings. This article describes the state-of-the-art in official approval processes in Austria. It examines the digital process path, i.e. the provision of cadastral data, the usability of provided GIS data, the existence of automated preliminary inspection, and accelerated processing by means of e-government. Representative examples are used to illustrate the current state of official approval processes in Austria. The focus here is on the possibility of condensing the various public and semi-public basic planning data (location and environment) to prepare a consolidated requirements model, which can be used in BIM planning in the design and approval phase. It is shown where there are supplementary and overlapping data to identify conflict situations. In the future, a building applicant will be given the opportunity to complete the process online. This creates a clear time saving in relation to the processing time. This in turn accelerates the processing of projects and makes it easier for all parties involved.