Transformational emissions accounting system using BIM- and blockchain-enabled smart contracts for building structural materials

Abstract

Building structural designs, utilizing materials such as steel, concrete, and cross-laminated timber, contribute significantly to embodied carbon emissions in construction projects. However, traditional carbon accounting methods employed to quantify and record these emissions are often characterized by a lack of traceability, transparency, and immutability. This limitation undermines the reliability of emissions data, making it challenging for stakeholders to establish credible emissions records and implement regulatory strategies, such as carbon credits, taxes, subsidies, and green certifications, for building’s structural designs and materials. This paper addresses these challenges by proposing a transformational emissions accounting system that integrates Building Information Modeling (BIM) for automatic extraction of emissions-relevant data, alongside blockchain-enabled smart contracts to ensure traceability and immutability of emissions records. The proposed system enables data-driven decision-making for low-carbon structural designs and materials, while also facilitating the application of emissions regulations to support their implementation based on trustworthy emissions accounting.