Leveraging Smart Contracts in Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Unified Project Execution: A Theoretical Framework. Oluwatoyin Lawal University of Florida, United States Nawari Nawari University of Florida, United States This is a section of CONVR 2023 - Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (DOI: 10.36253/979-12-215-0289-3) by Pietro Capone, Vito Getuli, Farzad Pour Rahimian, Nashwan Dawood, Alessandro Bruttini, Tommaso Sorbi Firenze University Press Florence 2023 https://doi.org/10.36253/10.36253/979-12-215-0289-3.34

Available for academic research purposes

Open Access

Copyright Author(s)

Content licence CC BY-NC 4.0

Metadata licence CC0 1.0

This is original content, published for academic research purposes

 Digital edition XML powered by Booksflow

Over time, several procurement methods have been adopted to facilitate the successful delivery of construction projects with minimal financial losses in order to offer maximum value to clients. In recent years, the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) procurement model has been introduced for better overall financial performance. In this model, every member of the project team has a stake in overall profit or risk irrespective of the extent of their roles and change orders and correction of errors and omissions are managed effectively with minimal contractual disruptions. This paper aims to address some of the previously cited barriers in earlier scholarly work, and it proposes a conceptual framework that integrates two novel concepts towards tackling technological and financial barriers in adopting IPD namely, BIM and Smart Contracts (SC). A framework is developed for a BIM-blockchain-IPD whereby the BIM model is integrated with blockchain technology, thereby acting as an immutable and transparent information repository and a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) projects. The smart contract feature of blockchain technology offers an automated equitable distribution of risk and reward amongst project stakeholders based on agreements at project inception. Thus, the research contributes to a more efficient project delivery method by avoiding information asymmetry amongst stakeholders through a tamper-proof, BIM-enabled Common Data Environment (CDE). The proposed framework is validated with qualitative analysis of information obtained based on AEC industry procurement workflows

 Integrated Project Delivery Smart Contract Blockchain BIM AEC Common Data Environment

It is available online at https://doi.org/10.36253/10.36253/979-12-215-0289-3.34

References AIA California Council. (2007). Integrated Project Delivery, a guide. American Institute of Architects. Retrieved August 08, 2023, from https://info.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/IPD_Guide_2007.pdf Alaloul, W. S., Hasaniyah, M. W., & Tayeh, B. A. (2019). A comprehensive review of disputes prevention and resolution in construction projects. MATEC web of conferences. 270, p. p. 05012. EDP Sciences. 10.1051/matecconf/201927005012 Ali, F., & Haapasalo, H. (2023). Development levels of stakeholder relationships in collaborative projects: challenges and preconditions. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 16(8), 58-76. 10.1108/IJMPB-03-2022-0066/full/html Azhar, S., Khalfan, M., & Maqsood, T. (2012). Building Information Modeling (BIM): Now and beyond. The Australasian journal of Construction Economics and Building, 12(4), 15 - 28. Barricelli, B. R., Casiraghi, E., & Fogli, D. (2019). A survey on digital twin: Definitions, characteristics, applications, and design implications. IEEE access, 7, 167653-167671. 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2953499 Cox, A., & Ireland, P. (2002). Managing construction supply chains: the common sense approach. Engineering, construction and architectural management, 9(5/6), 409-418. 10.1108/eb021235 Durdyev, S., Hosseini, M. R., Martek, I., Ismail, S., & Arashpour, M. (2020). Barriers to the use of integrated project delivery (IPD): a quantified model for Malaysia. Journal of Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(1), 186-204. 10.1108/ECAM-12-2018-0535 Ebekozien, A., Aigbavboa, C. O., Aigbedion, M., Ogbaini, I. F., & Aginah, I. L. (2023). Integrated project delivery in the Nigerian construction sector: An unexplored approach from the stakeholders’ perspective. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 30(4), 1519-1535. 10.1108/ECAM-09-2021-0823 Elghaish, F., Abrishami, S., & Hosseini, M. R. (2020). Integrated project delivery with blockchain: An automated financial system. Automation in Construction, 114, 103182. 10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103182 Elghaish, F., Abrishami, S., Hosseini, M. R., & Abu-Samra, S. (2021). Revolutionising cost structure for integrated project delivery: a BIM-based solution. Journal of Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(4), 1214-1240. 10.1108/ECAM-04-2019-0222 Heidemann, A., & Gehbauer, F. (2010). Cooperative project delivery in an environment of strict design-bid-build tender regulations. Proc. 18th Ann. Conf. Int’l. Group for Lean Constr.(IGLC-18), (pp. 591-590). Hunhevicz, J. J., Brasey, P.-A., Bonanomi, M. M., & Hall, D. (2020). Blockchain and smart contracts for integrated project delivery: inspiration from the commons. EPOC 2020 Working Paper Proceedings. 10.3929/ethz-b-000452056 Ilozor, B. D., & Kelly, D. J. (2012). Building Information Modeling and Integrated Project Delivery in the Commercial Construction Industry: A Conceptual Study. Joumal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2(1), 23-36. Jung, W., & Lee, G. (2016, July 1). Slim BIM charts for rapidly visualizing and quantifying levels of BIM adoption and implementation. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 30(4), 04015072. 10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000554 Kahvandi, Z., Saghatforoush, E., ZareRavasan, A., & Preece, C. (2019). Integrated Project Delivery Implementation Challenges in the Construction Industry. Civil Engineering Journal, 5(8), 1672-1683. Kumar Viswanathan, S., Panwar, A., Kar, S., Lavingiya, R., & Jha, K. N. (2020). Causal modeling of disputes in construction projects. Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, 12(4), 04520035. 10.1061/(ASCE)LA.1943-4170.0000432 Lahdenpera, P. (2012). Making sense of the multi-party contractual arrangements of project partnering, project alliancing and integrated project delivery. Construction management and economics, 30(1), 57-79. 10.1080/01446193.2011.648947 Lawal, O. O., & Nawari, N. O. (2022). Audit and Provenance Model for Transactions in Real Estate Markets through Blockchain-based Supply Chain Management. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Congress (B2C' 2022) (p. 128). Barcelona: IFSA Publishing. Liu, Z., Lu, Y., & Peh, L. C. (2019). A review and scientometric analysis of global building information modeling (BIM) research in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Buildings, 9(10), 210. 10.3390/buildings9100210 Nawari, N., & Ravindran, S. (2019). Blockchain and the built environment: Potentials and limitations. Journal of Building Engineering 25. 10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100832 Ostrom, E., Gardner, R., & Walker, J. (1994). Rules, Games, and Common-Pool Resources. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Phua, F. T., & Rowlinson, S. (2003). Cultural differences as an explanatory variable for adversarial attitudes in the construction industry: the case of Hong Kong. Construction management and economics, 21(7), 777-785. 10.1080/0144619032000108245 Pishdad-Bozorgi, P. (2017). Case studies on the role of integrated project delivery (IPD) approach on the establishment and promotion of trust. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 102-124. 10.1080/15578771.2016.1226213 Pishdad-Bozorgi, P., Yoon, J. H., & Dass, N. (2020). Blockchain-based information sharing: A new opportunity for construction supply chains. EPiC Series in Built Environment, 1, 274-282. Rahman, M. M., & Kumaraswamy, M. M. (2004). Contracting relationship trends and transitions. Journal of management in engineering, 20(4), 147-161. 10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2004)20:4(147) Rowlinson, S. (2017). Building information modelling, integrated project delivery and all that. Construction innovation, 17(1), 45-49. 10.1108/CI-05-2016-0025 Roy, D., Malsane, S., & Samanta, P. K. (2018). Identification of Critical Challenges for Adoption of Integrated Project Delivery. Lean Construction Journal, 1-15. Sahal, R., Alsamhi, S. H., Brown, K. N., O'Shea, D., & Alouffi, B. (2022). Blockchain-based digital twins collaboration for smart pandemic alerting: decentralized COVID-19 pandemic alerting use case. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, 2022. 10.1155/2022/7786441 Sreckovic, M., Sibenik, G., Sigalov, K., Ye, X., Konig, M., & Reitmayer, K. (2021). Upkeeping digital assets during construction using blockchain technology. Proc. of the Conference CIB W78, 2021, pp. 11-15. Luxembourg. Sullivan, J., Asmar, M., Chalhoub, J., & Obeid, H. (2017). Two decades of performance comparisons for design-build, construction manager at risk, and design-bid-build: Quantitative analysis of the state of knowledge on project cost, schedule, and quality. Journal of construction engineering and management, 143(6), 04017009. 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001282 Tao, X., Das, M., Zheng, C., Liu, Y., Wong, P. K.-Y., Xu, Y., . . . Cheng, J. C. (2023). Enhancing BIM security in emergency construction projects using lightweight blockchain-as-a-service. Automation in Construction, 104846. 10.1016/j.autcon.2023.104846 Tao, X., Liu, Y., Wong, P.-Y., Chen, K., Das, M., & Cheng, J. C. (2022). Confidentiality-minded framework for blockchain-based BIM design collaboration. Automation in Construction, 136, 104172. 10.1016/j.autcon.2022.104172 Wang, J., Wu, P., Wang, X., & Shou, W. (2017). The outlook of blockchain technology for construction engineering management. Frontiers of engineering management, 67-75. 10.15302/J-FEM-2017006 Young-Ybarra, C., & Wiersema, M. (1999). Strategic Flexibility in Information Technology Alliances: The Influence of Transaction Cost Economics and Social Exchange Theory. Organizational Science, 10(4), 439-459. 10.1287/orsc.10.4.439 Zhang, T., Doan, D. T., & Kang, J. (2023). Application of building information modeling-blockchain integration in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction / Facilities Management industry: A review. Journal of Building Engineering, 77, 107551. 10.1016/j.jobe.2023.107551 Zheng, Z., Xie, S., Dai, H.-N., Chen, W., Chen, X., Weng, J., & Imran, M. (2020). An overview on smart contracts: Challenges, advances and platforms. Future Generation Computer Systems, 105, 475-491. 10.1016/j.future.2019.12.019