The working group Digital Life Cycle Engineering (led by Tim Zinke until September 2021) combines research topics of the two megatrends digitalization and sustainability. The following main objectives are being pursued for the construction sector:

• Provision of life cycle information for decision makers
• Integration of data for holistic analyses in digital building models
• Use of open interfaces and data exchange formats
• Execution of multi-criteria and multi-scale analyses under consideration of uncertainties

As a result, holistic calculation methods, computer-aided calculation procedures as well as benchmarks for components, building elements and structures can be provided. This will strengthen the collaboration between building professionals and improve the decision-making process. The most important research contents and the decisive methods used are visualized in the following graphic.

Tim Zinke was the head of the working group Digital Life Cycle Engineering until end of September 2021 and was responsible for the funding, project management and processing of the following research projects:

• Preparation of Traffic, Road and Construction Data for BIM-based, Integral and Holistic Assessment for the Planning of Infrastructure Projects (IntegPlan)
• Integral and Holistic Design of Road Bridges based on Hierarchical Models (IntegBridge, P 1281)
• Kadi4x - Cross-Domain and Workflow-Based Research Data Management for the Civil Engineering Sciences
• Development of an Electrically Operated Heating Conductor System for Grapevines for the Effective and Environmentally Friendly Prevention of Damage caused by Climate Change-Induced Late Frost Events
• WEG der Zukunft - Pilot Project of a Nationwide Renovation Campaign for Condominium Owners' Associations
• Holistic Evaluation of Infrastructure Structures with Sheet Pile Walls (contract research)
• Holistic Analysis of Steel Composite Bridges for Addressing Highway Authorities and Politicians (contract research)
• Holistic Evaluation of Steel and Composite Railway Bridges according to Sustainability Criteria (NaBrüEis, P 978)
• Investigation of the Sustainability Performance of Hot-Dip Galvanised Bridges (NaBrüFeuer)
• Optimisation of Manufacturing and Maintenance of Support Structures for Offshore Wind Turbines (P 864)
• Research Project on the Development of Novel, Innovative Steel Pallet Systems for the Industrial Production Process of Precast Concrete Elements to Significantly Reduce Energy and Resource Consumption
• Preparation of a Life Cycle Cost calculation for Facade Variants (contract research)
• Holistic Evaluation of Steel and Composite Bridges according to Sustainability Criteria (NaBrü, P 843)
• Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings with Steel - Potentials of Steel (-Lightweight) Construction (P 845)
• PROsab - Energy Efficient and Comfortable Refurbishment of Office Buildings of the 50s, 60s and 70s Years (TU Braunschweig, final report available via Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)
• Decision Chains of Building Material Selection in the Planning Phase of Buildings (contract research, TU Braunschweig)

• Lectureship "Digital Planning and Building Information Modeling (DPBIM)" at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (from Winter Semester 2019/2020)
• Lectureship "Sustainability in Construction / Sustainability Assessment" at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (from Summer Semester 2019 to Summer Semester 2021)