New publications at the chair of construction Engineering
Two new research publications on digitalization and communication in the construction industry
In June 2025, two new research papers involving doctoral researchers from the Chair of Construction Engineering and Management at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar will be published. Both contributions address current challenges related to the digital transformation and efficiency of building permit processes.
The first study, “Evaluating Stakeholder Management Practices in the Building Permit Process,” appears in the Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction (ASCE). Authored by Hossein Motahar (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar), Dr. Judith Fauth (TUM), and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Melzner (Chair of Construction Engineering and Management), the paper uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine how stakeholder relationships impact the efficiency of building approval procedures in Germany, France, Sweden, and Montenegro. The study places particular emphasis on the role of digital tools in improving communication between authorities, planners, and applicants.
article: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JLADAH.LADR-1310
The second publication, “OntoBPR: An ontology-based framework for performing building permit reviews using standardized information containers,” is available Open Access in Advanced Engineering Informatics (Elsevier). The joint research, conducted by Judith Fauth, Ioannis Brilakis (University of Cambridge), Sebastian Seiß (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar), and Philipp Hagedorn, Sven Zentgraf, and Markus König (Ruhr-Universität Bochum), presents a framework for process-integrated, automated building permit checks. Implemented on the ICDD platform developed at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the system supports regulation compliance verification using SHACL, stakeholder notifications, and context adaptation through an upper ontology model.
article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474034625002629
Both publications contribute valuable insights to the digital transformation of the construction industry and highlight the strength of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration.