Ye, Xuling (2025) Blockchain-based smart contract realization in BIM environment: Technical adoption for reliable and collaborative construction management. PhD thesis, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
Abstract
Construction management faces persistent challenges due to inefficient collaboration, fragmented workflows, and inconsistent documentation. These issues hinder contract administration, process tracking, and data exchange, often causing disputes, delays, and cost overruns. Blockchain-based smart contracts offer strong potential for automation, transparency, and security but remain underused and poorly integrated with Building Information Modeling (BIM) to fully fulfill construction-specific needs. This thesis investigates how smart contracts can enhance digital construction management, focusing on BIM data use, automated template generation, process monitoring, and system integration. A solution is developed including three procedures: data modelling, process template definition, and smart contract implementation. Validated through three use cases and developed prototypes, the study lays the groundwork for enhancing reliability and collaboration in construction management.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | König, Markus and Cheng, Jack Chin Pang |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | digitalisierung; bauführung; blockchain; building information modeling; smart contract |
| Index terms: | data modelling, blockchain, transparency, automation, smart contract, implementation, monitoring, dispute, cost overrun, digital construction, contract administration, building information modelling, data exchange, workflow, system integration, collaboration, documentation, face, prototype |
| Subjects: | modelling and simulation, data science, financial and cost management, control systems, computing systems, dispute resolution, information systems, management, data exchange, professional development, digital technology, psychology, contractual arrangements, organizational theory, automation and robotics, contract management |
| Topics: | Contract Administration, Organizational Design, Site Management, Digital Applications, Information Management, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Legal Issues, Procurement, Project Management, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here