Blockchain-driven framework for construction waste recycling and reuse

Abstract

Conventional management mechanisms for construction waste recycling and reuse (CWRR) often cause considerable information asymmetry, inadequate government supervision, and imperfect incentive mechanisms, resulting in frequent illegal dumping and landfilling of construction waste and relatively low recycling rates. To address these issues, we introduce blockchain technology to CWRR. The design science research methodology was adopted to identify the main steps in functional requirement identification and blockchain framework development for CWRR. To explain how blockchain can improve the CWRR process, a conceptual model for the functional requirements of the proposed framework was constructed using qualitative analysis. A blockchain-driven framework was developed to overcome practical barriers in the CWRR industry. Based on scenario simulation results, the proposed framework had execution and transaction costs of $4.735 and $1.276, respectively, and latency performance at the millisecond level. The results indicate that (1) based on specific problems systematically identified from CWRR practices, the proposed framework can address practical barriers in the CWRR industry more directly; (2) the CWRR industry can use blockchain technology to achieve information sharing, comprehensive government supervision, and effective incentive mechanisms and (3) the blockchain-driven framework has high efficacy and can promote efficient CWRR and high-quality development of CWRR industry chain. This management model is conducive to forming a collaborative CWRR industry chain that can lead to broader adoption of blockchain technology across industries.