HOCHTIEF Quarterly Report 01-03 2007

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In the Spotlight

Group-wide innovation management - HOCHTIEF builds inHaus2 intelligent building

At HOCHTIEF, innovations are an integral part of corporate strategy. They make a major contribution to strengthening the competitiveness of our Group. With our Group-wide innovation management system, we are generating new knowledge to unlock future areas of business and optimize existing processes. One of the areas we are focusing on, together with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft research organization and other partners from industry in a project called "inHaus2," is the intelligent utility building of the future.

The goal of the research project is to develop intelligent and networked technologies for commercial buildings. The spectrum extends from construction physics to microelectronics. The inHaus 2 utility building is to be built in Duisburg very close to inHaus1, an innovation laboratory for residential buildings. The foundation stone for the building with a gross floor area of 5,170 square meters will be laid on May 21, 2007. HOCHTIEF is investing a total of EUR 4.3 million in the inHaus2 project.

To be completed in mid-2008, inHaus2 will provide a flexible platform which can be adapted to the requirements of different users. In the research section of the building, rooms can be tested for use in applications such as hotels, hospitals or retirement homes. In addition, specialists will look into the possibilities of flexible office design. For this, rooms with the requisite electronic and IT infrastructure as well as all necessary fittings, furnishings and equipment will be installed on three floors of the building. Thanks to an intelligent room and building system, completely new features will be possible.

In the inHaus2 project, the fourdimensional building model ViCon today already makes it possible to simulate the individual building phases as well as the acoustics and climate of the finished building.

A room which reports emergencies automatically, or an air-conditioning system which is linked to the user's calendar and adjusts its output according to presence and absence to save energy - these are just two examples of the use of intelligent systems. Research and development work will continue to mid-2010 in order to test the systems in actual operation, optimize them and bring them to market maturity. HOCHTIEF is organizing the construction of inHaus2 in the form of an "intelligent building site." For example, construction materials will be fitted with chips which will later provide information on the heat insulation of the finished building. The various building site data will be stored, managed and interpreted on a building site web portal.

As one of the world's leading users of virtual design and construction, HOCHTIEF is using this innovative technology in inHaus2, planning the building in 4D. In Virtual Design and Construction (ViCon), each individual building phase is simulated three-dimensionally before the works actually start, with time being added as a fourth dimension. Even the acoustics and climate of the building can be planned in advance. The advantages are diverse: The various trades and construction site logistics can be better coordinated. With the aid of a so-called clash detection module, geometric conflicts can be identified early on with ViCon. This reduces risks for further planning and construction. We are already using ViCon with great success worldwide - by the end of 2006, HOCHTIEF had used ViCon on 186 projects throughout the Group.

inHaus2 is another example of our cross-divisional approach to meeting building requirements at every link in the value chain: HOCHTIEF Consult is designing the high-tech building in collaboration with HOCHTIEF ViCon, HOCHTIEF Construction is building inHaus2 within the space of 14 months with the support of Streif Baulogistik, and HOCHTIEF Facility Management will subsequently operate the research unit. This team effort by HOCHTIEF sister companies reflects the Group's successful networked approach to research, design and construction.