Conceptual Model of Quality Management Based on Blockchain in Construction Industry

Abstract

Poor quality in construction could lead to the cash flow disruption, project delays, profit loss in projects due to rework, and some time to the property damage or human loss due to accidents. In order to ensure the quality of work, quality control (QC) departments inspect the construction work compliance with best practices, defined procedures, and specifications. These inspections rely on manual procedures, post-construction evaluation, document-based, and are carried out through a supervisory manner approach from top-down. However, this top-down control-oriented approach does not provide enough motivation for quality control managers, operators, and workers to voluntarily follow quality procedures and specifications. Besides, document-based quality specification compliance assessments have limitations that are difficult to determine whether the required specifications have actually been implemented and are not reliable to measure their real performance as well. In this regard, this study proposes a conceptual framework for Blockchain-based quality management at construction sites, which could ensure security and reliability of information generated through while implementing quality-related specification and procedures by managers and workers using Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) and also to encourage them by establishing a compensation structure through performance assessment for activities of each task. The Block chained quality management approach would greatly help shift the traditional top-down and passive quality control process to bottom-up and voluntary manner. It might open a new innovative value-chain structure in the construction quality domain which provides securing reliability of activities required for quality assurance procedures and specification implementation.