DIBt and its partners
Within the framework of its public mandate as a building authority, DIBt is active in numerous national and international committees, working groups and organisations. The aim is to promote safety and innovation in the construction sector.
Technical assessment and standardisation
EOTA – European Organisation for Technical Assessment
EOTA is the association of the European Technical Assessment Bodies. The organisation based in Brussels coordinates the development of European Assessment Documents (EADs) and the issuance of European Technical Assessments (ETAs) under the Construction Products Regulation. DIBt is the only Technical Assessment Body to have been designated by Germany.
DIN – German Institute for Standardization and CEN – Comité Européen de Normalisation (European Committee for Standardization)
On behalf of the federal states and the Federation, DIBt works towards ensuring that public interests are given due consideration in the standardisation process. Key concerns are the safety of the built environment as well as health and environmental protection. DIBt experts contribute to the work of numerous national DIN working committees. In many cases, they also act as national delegates to the CEN working groups in which the standardisation work is carried out on a European level.
Exchange with technical assessment organisations and regulators at a European and global level
WFTAO - World Federation of Technical Assessment Organisations
WFTAO is a very active and global network of approval and assessment organisations. The partners share their experiences and best practices for the assessment of innovative construction products and design solutions and exchange information on assessment approaches and the challenges they are facing. DIBt became a full member of WFTAO in 2010 and has successfully completed projects with partners in the U.S., China, the United Kingdom and other countries.
IRCC – Inter-Jurisdictional Regulatory Collaboration Committee
IRCC provides a forum for promoting a common understanding of, and a framework for, the development of building regulatory system. The meetings serve to share information and exchange best practices on regulation matters.
UEAtc – Union Européenne pour l’Agrément technique dans la construction (European Union of Agrément)
UEAtc is a European association of organisations active in the officially recognised or mandatory approval of construction products and systems. UEAtc's seeks to help manufacturers avoid duplication of effort and repeated testing within the framework of different national approval procedures through mutual recognition and coordination among the organisation's members.
Scientific and technical cooperation
Scientific and professional exchange is essential for the technical work of DIBt. To promote knowledge sharing, DIBt is active in the following organisations and knowledge networks:
- DAfStb – German Committee for Reinforced Concrete (German)
- DASt – German Committee on Steel Construction (German)
- DGGT – German Geotechnical Society (German)
- DVS – German Association for Welding and similar procedures (German)
- DWA – German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste
- fib – Fédération international du béton / International Federation for Structural Concrete
- IRB – Fraunhofer Information Center for Regional Planning and Building Construction
- VDI – The Association of German Engineers
Administrative cooperation and communication with stakeholders
Germany has a well-functioning regulatory system for construction products and construction techniques. One major success factor is the good cooperation between public sector partners and the open exchange between administrations and stakeholders.
- Conference of Construction Ministers Platform
The main coordination platform for the building authorities is the Conference of Construction Ministers, the working group of the state ministers and senators responsible for urban planning, construction and housing. DIBt provides technical, legal and organisational support to this forum for the areas falling within the Institute's remit. DIBt also runs the secretariat for several groups and committees of the Conference of Construction Ministers, including but not limited to the secretariat of the Commission for Construction Engineering and many of its subgroups as well as the secretariat of the Commission on Project and Cost Planning of the Committee for Public Building Construction.
- Federation/federal state working groups and committees
- DIBt is involved, e.g., in the following working committees and working groups in the field of facility-based water protection:
- The Committee for Health-Related Evaluation of Building Products (AgBB) is a joint initiative of federal and state-level institutions in the policy areas of environmental and health protection as well as construction. DIBt has supported this committee from the beginning.
- Round tables of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI)
The round tables of the federal ministry responsible for building provide a forum for representatives from the construction industry, building authorities and researchers to exchange information, ideas and views on current civil engineering topics in a large circle. DIBt regularly attends the following round tables:- Round table on sustainable building (German)
- Round table on resource efficiency in civil engineering
At the European level, DIBt participates in the following committees (amongst others):
- SCC – Standing Committee on Construction
The Standing Committee on Construction (SCC) supports the European Commission in matters pertaining to the practical implementation of the Construction Products Regulation. The Bundesrat, Germany's upper house of parliament representing the federal states, appointed DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft as its representative to the SCC.
- Advisory groups of the European Commission
The advisory groups of the European Commission serve to ensure greater involvement of national administrations and stakeholders in the European legislative process. DIBt has been working for many years in the two subgroups of the Advisory Group on Construction Products: - European administrative cooperation in the field of market surveillance
Administrative cooperation groups were set up at the EU level to promote the exchange of information and experiences between the market surveillance authorities in Europe. As the joint market surveillance authority of the federal states, DIBt is a member of the Administrative Cooperation Group of market surveillance authorities under the Construction Products Regulation.
Further activities
- Förderverein Bundesstiftung Baukultur e.V.
The Baukultur foundation is an independent institution committed to raising public awareness of topics related to building culture and the built environment. DIBt supports this initiative through its membership in the friends' association.
- KAV Berlin – Association of Municipal Employers Berlin (German)
DIBt is highly aware of its responsibility as an employer in the Berlin-Brandenburg region and takes an active part in the regional network of public sector employers in Berlin, KAV Berlin.