On the Occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of Plan de Transition Numerique du Batiment (PTNB) in France

On Wednesday, May 29, the École des Ponts – ParisTech organised a roundtable bringing together several BIM experts to review the progress made over the past ten years in France and outline some future perspectives. Christophe Lheureux, Director of Innovation at 3F, France's largest social housing management organisation (300,000 housing units), has been an early adopter of BIM in its operations and participated in this roundtable. He answers our questions.

How has BIM changed your work?

We launched our first construction project using BIM in 2014. Since then, we have undertaken 160 projects involving the construction of new residential buildings or renovating existing buildings using BIM. To support this growth, we have established the appropriate organisation. This has included the formation of a dedicated team to assist project managers, as well as a training program for them. We have also equipped ourselves with the necessary software to view and check digital models. Finally, we have adapted our work processes to make the most of the digital models produced by the architects we work with. Our digital models provide an enhanced understanding of the projects proposed by the architects.

Why is BIM indispensable for the management of your projects today?

We have decided to prioritise using BIM for the design phase of construction projects. For this phase, we have selected a few simple use cases that already add significant value to the project. For example, we have a virtual model of a housing unit that the architect created. We select a typical housing unit from the project and ask the architect to create a virtual model of it. For this virtual model, we request a finer level of modelling than elsewhere in the digital model. We organise a virtual tour of this model together, allowing us to check and improve the quality of the design, organisation, and layout of the housing unit. With the experience we have now gained over the past ten years, we know exactly what to expect from using BIM on our construction and renovation projects. Our ambition now is to accelerate by truly putting BIM at the service of our goals as project owners. We have identified four major challenges. Firstly, BIM to better control the economic cost of our construction operations. Secondly, BIM is used to improve the quality of our project’s design. Thirdly, BIM reduces our operation’s environmental footprint, and finally, BIM accelerates off-site manufacturing processes.

What advice would you give to professionals who still need to adopt BIM or are hesitant to do so?

I would give the following advice to professionals who are still hesitant to adopt BIM in their practice. First, start with a modest ambition by choosing the right construction project. Next, don't hesitate to exchange ideas with other professionals and participate in workshops and meetings professional organisations organise. For professionals who have already started a BIM project, I recommend continuing to build your skills and getting trained. There are many reputable training programs available in France today that they can enrol in, such as the one offered by École des Ponts ParisTech and its continuing education branch. It's also important to organise sharing best practices and feedback within your team. Finally, don't forget to optimise the workflow.

What is the next challenge?

With Olivier Celnik, director of the BIM master's program at École des Ponts ParisTech, we are co-authoring a book to be published in November 2024, which will be co-published by Editions Eyrolles and Presses des Ponts. This book will feature insights from 50 BIM professionals and will reflect on the progress made over the past ten years. It will also highlight the challenges that remain to be overcome and the promising prospects for the coming years.