BIM integrated smart contract for construction project progress payment administration

Abstract

In recent years few blockchain based progress payment methods have been proposed to improve the traditional payment process for construction projects. The blockchain based methods require the off-chain real world information to be connected to the blockchain which could be challenging for construction projects. This paper presents a novel building information modeling (BIM) integrated smart contract progress payment administration system, in which as-constructed BIM is used to link the real world with the blockchain. Results of a survey of construction professionals revealed that the proposed system has a significant potential for improving the traditional payment procedure by accelerating the process and by making the progress payments less prone to disputes, especially for lump sum projects. The results also indicate the potential of future research on semi-autonomous BIM integrated smart contract systems to accelerate the adoption of the BIM and smart contract technologies for progress payment administration within the construction sector.