Incentivizing High-Quality Data Sets in Construction Using Blockchain: A Feasibility Study in the Swiss Industry

Abstract

Data sets are often incomplete and low-quality at the end of a construction project. This creates rework or hinders opportunities to use data during future activities of the facility lifecycle (e.g. facility management, renovation, demolition). This research prototypes and evaluates a novel process to use blockchain and smart contracts in construction projects to incentivize high quality data sets. The proposed solution is defined in collaboration with construction professionals. The process traces and saves project data while incentivizing participants to create high-quality data sets through reward tokens. To validate the process, an Ethereum-based blockchain prototype is developed. A simple case study is conducted in collaboration with local industry professionals to simulate how the prototype can function in a typical design bid build process used in Switzerland. The early findings and possible subsequent research steps are presented. Overall, it was found that such a blockchain based incentive systems has the potential to not only incentivize high-quality data sets, but also change the way of tendering and related construction processes.