On-Site Construction Quality Inspection Using Blockchain and Smart Contracts

Abstract

Typically, on-site construction quality inspection (OCQI) is manually conducted, and its effectiveness highly depends on the self-discipline of responsible personnel. Furthermore, construction quality information is still recorded on paper, with the risk of document loss and data manipulation, jeopardizing quality accountability. Blockchain has attracted increasing attention from the construction industry because it can record information in an immutable and transparent way and automate some businesses with smart contracts. These properties can tackle information fraud and improve the automation level of OCQI. Unfortunately, very few documented blockchain solutions for OCQI exist. To fill the theoretical knowledge gap, the design thinking approach was adopted to present a blockchain-based conceptual framework. The consortium network and Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) were selected as the suitable blockchain type and development platform for OCQI. The consensus process in HLF and smart contracts–based compliance checking are illustrated. Moreover, the benefits of integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and ontology technology with blockchain are analyzed in detail, which can facilitate the coevaluation of these three technologies. Finally, a prototype system was developed to vividly show the theoretical feasibility. The proposed blockchain solution can be fine-tuned and evaluated in future research. Challenges hindering the practical implementation of blockchains are systematically discussed within the technology–organization–environment (TOE) theory, which can be reused in future investigations to identify construction stakeholders’ concerns on adopting blockchains.