Efficient material traceability and lifecycle management are essential for achieving circular utilization in indoor renovation projects. This study proposes a reversible decoration framework based on a Digital Material Cycle Map (DMCM) to support the tracking, recovery, and reuse of construction materials throughout their service lifecycle. The framework integrates Digital Product Passport concepts, RFID- and QR-based identification, distributed ledger technology, and lifecycle data management to establish a unified material information architecture. A modular and detachable construction strategy is further developed using standardized interfaces and non-destructive disassembly mechanisms, enabling efficient component recovery and reuse. In addition, a material traceability workflow is introduced to support condition assessment, lifecycle auditing, and recycling decision-making based on dynamically updated records. The framework promotes information sharing among manufacturers, designers, contractors, and recycling organizations through standardized data interfaces. By combining material identification, information transmission, and lifecycle monitoring, the proposed approach provides an engineering-oriented solution for digital material governance, intelligent sensing, and distributed infrastructure management.
The construction industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the adoption of decentralized models, which leverage distributed decision-making, collaborative networks, and advanced technologies such as blockchain, digital twins, and artificial intelligence (AI). These innovations promise enhanced transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder engagement in high- rise building projects. However, decentralization introduces unique risks—spanning technical, social, economic, legal, and environmental domains—that challenge traditional risk management frameworks. This research systematically identifies and categorizes these risks, emphasizing their implications for decentralized high-rise construction. Key technical risks include design clashes and quality inconsistencies due to fragmented workflows, while social risks encompass labor disputes and community opposition. Economic risks arise from budget fragmentation and supply chain volatility, legal risks stem from contractual ambiguities and regulatory non- compliance, and environmental risks involve waste mismanagement and increased carbon footprints. To address these challenges, the study proposes a comprehensive risk management framework integrating emerging technologies. For instance, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital twins enable real-time clash detection and quality assurance, blockchain ensures transparent and automated contract execution, and AI-driven analytics predict safety hazards and cost overruns. The framework is validated through a case study of Skyline Towers in Dubai, where decentralized strategies reduced design errors by 45% and payment delays by 80%. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a systematic literature review with empirical analysis of real-world projects. Findings highlight the critical role of stakeholder alignment, hybrid governance models, and sustainable practices in mitigating risks. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for policymakers and industry practitioners, advocating for standardized digital protocols, adaptive risk governance, and proactive environmental controls. By bridging the gap between technological innovation and risk management, this research contributes a forward-looking framework to enhance resilience and efficiency in decentralized high-rise construction, ensuring sustainable urban development in an increasingly complex industry landscape.
This paper proposes a hybrid IoT-blockchain architecture designed to ensure the security and value enhancement of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum throughout its entire lifecycle. At the edge, sensor data is encrypted using AES-256, with RSA-2048 handling key exchange, achieving a hybrid encryption overhead of 1.84 milliseconds per kilobyte. A permissioned Proof-of-Authority consensus mechanism delivers$\text{1, 7 0 0}$transactions per second with a confirmation time of just 0.59 seconds. An immutable ledger records purity, moisture, volume, and origin data; smart contracts automatically execute compliance checks and quality balance reconciliations. During a$\text{1 2}$-month field deployment at a 1.2-million-ton coal-fired power plant, the system reduced unauthorized access attempts by 94.7%, lowered transportation quality disputes by 80%, and improved downstream price stability by 18%. Scalable to 145,000 daily records, the system supports sub-second queries for$\text{8 5 {\%}}$of calls and achieves post-quantum security through zero-knowledge proof integration. This framework transforms industrial byproduct tracking into a verifiable, real-time asset valuation tool.
Rosario Gilmary, N Manvizhi, M Abinanthida, H. B. · 5 authors
Efficient management of construction waste is essential for achieving sustainability in building projects. However, current waste tracking systems often lack waste transparency, traceability, and trust among stakeholders. This study suggests a blockchain-based framework to improve how construction waste information networks operate. By using distributed ledger technology, the system allows safe data sharing among stakeholders, while minimizing data manipulation and inefficiencies. A prototype was created and tested using simulated construction waste scenarios. The testing showed better data accuracy and traceability. Results showed a 35% increase in waste audit reliability and a major decrease in reporting delays. The proposed method provides a scalable and tamper-proof solution for sustainable waste management. Future work will look at real-world implementation and how it can fit with regulatory platforms..
Construction waste management (CWM) and blockchain technology (BT) are two crucial topics for sustainable production and development. As a fundamental infrastructure for artificial intelligence, BT enables real-time, reciprocal, and immutable information provision in tracing construction waste and holds a significant potential to advance CWM. However, the barriers to adopting BT in CWM and their impact on CWM practices remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to identify BT adoption barriers in CWM, assess their criticality, and clarify their correlations through a fuzzy empirical analysis. Results show that, due to interdependence, actions on one or some of the barriers can have a closed-loop impact. The findings suggest that the government and the stakeholders have a critical influence on the further adoption of BT in CWM. This exploratory study advances sustainable construction by clarifying those BT adoption barriers and providing implications to integrate BT into CWM practices.
Despite the large quantities of secondary materials flowing within the built environment, their actual volume and respective waste management processes are not accurately known and recorded. Consequently, various sustainability and material efficiency policies are not supported by accurate data and information-reporting associated with secondary materials’ availability and sourcing. Many recent studies have shown that the integration of digital technologies such as city information management (CIM), building information modeling (BIM), and blockchain have the potential to enhance construction waste management (CWM) by classifying recycled materials and creating value from waste. However, there is insufficient guidance to address the challenges during the process of CWM. Therefore, the research reported in this paper aims to develop a blockchain-enhanced construction waste information management conceptual framework (BeCW). This paper is the first attempt to apply the strengths of integrated information-management modeling with blockchain to optimize the process of CWM, which includes a WasteChain for providing a unified and trustworthy credit system for evaluating construction-waste-recyclability to stakeholders. This is enabled through the use of blockchain and self-executing smart contracts to clarify the responsibility and ownership of the relevant stakeholders. As a result, this study provides a unified and explicit framework for referencing which quantifies the value-contribution of stakeholders to waste-recovery and the optimization of secondary construction materials for reuse and recycling. It also addresses the issue of sustainable CWM through information exchange at four levels: user, application, service, and infrastructure data levels.
Abstract The construction sector plays a crucial role in the transition to a circular economy and a more sustainable society. With this objective in mind, Flanders – the Dutch speaking part of Belgium – makes use of a traceability procedure for construction and demolition waste in order to guarantee that value can be derived from downstream waste processing activities. This article takes this traceability procedure as a legal case study and examines if the use of blockchain technology could lead to even stronger supply chains, better data management, and, more generally, a smoother transition to circular practices in the construction sector.
The research aims at analyzing the integration of Waste Management (WM) strategies and Information management in the construction procurement process. The application of Building information modelling (BIM) methodologies for a Most Economically Advantageous Tender could address the digital transition in order to adopt environmentally sustainable practices. Despite the wide regulation regarding waste minimization, an overview of which is provided, AECO is still one of the most polluting industrialized sector. Drivers and barriers to the method, and a literature review are provided: BIM approaches to enable WM practices have been analyzed from the designer and constructor’s point of view, but few studies investigated the role of the Client, in particular the Public Client. The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of Most Economically Advantageous Tender and a BIM methodology to promote WM strategies during the tender phase. Design Build (DB) and Design Bid Build (DBB) procurement models are tested through three case studies of Italian schools' calls for proposals: the BIM model enabled to verify the bids in terms of WM strategies implementation. Blockchain and Smart contract future applications are also investigated in order to ensure transparency of the whole process. The Public Client could trigger a change in the construction sector regarding the integration of WM practices, as a central and active actor of the construction process, through the application of Green Public Procurement and BIM methodologies.
Seyed Hamidreza Ghaffar, Matthew Burman, Nuhu Braimah
The challenges of sustainable construction, industrial growth and importance of resource efficiency are clearly recognised by the UK government and are now at the forefront of strategy and policy. A critical component of the government’s sustainability strategies concerns way in which construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is managed. In this study a mixed method approach was adopted to investigate current practices of C&DW management and circular construction (re-use, recycle and recovery of materials) concept awareness in the UK. Relevant stakeholders from the construction industry (contracting, demolition and C&DW organisations) were selected and their views solicited on arguments about circular construction to help establish common visions and further encourage sustainable behaviour across the sector. The study revealed that legislation by the government on the re-use and recycling threshold for every new project can substantially improve circularity within the built environment. More specifically, focus should be on smart dismantling of buildings and ways of optimising cost effective processes. This will enable fair competition between stakeholders and eventually lead to investments in innovative approaches for resource recovery from C&DW. Further incentives and appreciations from government should also be given to stakeholders who are innovating and setting benchmarks in circular construction. This can lead to harmonised technological and non-technological solutions, closed-loop material processes and a circular economy.