Building a Safer Future with Building Information Modeling

^{Written by Rhizlaine Benabid | January 30, 2025}

The construction industry, often regarded as one of the most hazardous sectors in terms of workplace safety, is undergoing transformations. One of the reasons for this shift is Building Information Modeling (BIM), a digital process that creates detailed 3D models of buildings and infrastructure. Beyond improving efficiency and quality, it is proving indispensable in an area of the industry where the stakes are highest: safety.

In this article, Dr. Nils Kroenert, Hilti’s expert in BIM, explains how this technology supports the design and construction of buildings while ensuring that workers’ safety remains a priority.

What is BIM?

BIM is a collaborative process that allows architects, engineers, and contractors to work together within a shared digital framework. These data-rich models simulate every stage of a building’s lifecycle, from design and construction to maintenance and eventual demolition.

By identifying risks early on and coordinating plans more effectively, it has the potential to reduce errors, minimize waste and ensure that safety is central to every decision.

Building safety: a new standard

One of the critical applications of BIM is engineered fire protection. Building safety heavily relies on the ability of a structure to maintain functionality during a fire. Preventing the spread of fire within a structure is vital to safeguarding lives and minimizing damage. This digital modeling technology can be leveraged during the design process to implement firestop solutions.

Safety in construction extends beyond fire prevention to a range of risks that threaten both structures and occupants. The process is also proving instrumental in tackling these challenges. It allows engineers to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes and high winds, ensures effective water management to reduce flooding risks and optimizes ventilation systems to improve air quality and prevent mold. 

“BIM enables us to identify and mitigate safety risks early in the design phase, ensuring that every structure meets the highest standards of resilience and functionality.”

Dr. Nils Kroenert, BIM Innovation Manager

Emergency planning is significantly enhanced with this solution. Its precise modeling ensures the optimal placement of exits and fire doors, while its integration with electrical systems reduces the risk of overloads or short circuits. Additionally, BIM facilitates compliance with accessibility standards, ensuring that buildings are safer for all occupants, including those with physical challenges.

Making jobsites safer

For construction workers, daily risks range from heavy machinery to unsafe workflows. BIM helps reduce these dangers by moving hazardous tasks off-site through prefabrication - assembling building components in controlled environments. This approach streamlines processes, minimizes on-site activities and significantly lowers accident risks.

“Prefabrication improves safety by reducing on-site hazards and creating cleaner, more organized jobsites,” explains Dr. Kroenert.

The digital simulations possible through BIM also identify risks, such as system clashes or unstable structures, before construction begins. Additionally, it optimizes jobsite logistics, ensuring that materials and equipment are safely and efficiently positioned, reducing tripping hazards and congestion.

Automation: redefining risk

Another transformative benefit is its integration with automation technologies. Robots, like the Jaibot*, programmed with BIM data can perform repetitive or high-risk tasks, such as drilling or cutting, with precision while maintaining efficiency and productivity, helping to keep workers out of harm’s way.

Toward a safer future

BIM is revolutionizing construction by embedding safety into every phase of a project. Its ability to bring together diverse stakeholders on a unified platform ensures that risks are identified, mitigated and managed long before construction begins.

“Building information modeling is not just about better buildings - it is about creating safer, smarter environments for those who build and use them,” concludes Dr. Nils Kroenert.

As digital tools like BIM continue to evolve, they are not only transforming how buildings are designed but also how lives are safeguarded within and around them.