Smart Contract Generation and Visualization for Construction Business Process Collaboration and Automation: Upgraded Workflow Engine
Publication: Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
Volume 38, Issue 6
Abstract
With the digital transformation of the construction industry, the need to improve construction business process collaboration and automation is increasing. However, as construction projects usually involve many stakeholders with complex relationships and insufficient mutual trust, the existing technologies cannot fulfill the requirements of the construction industry. This paper explores the integration of blockchain, smart contracts, and process automation technologies into construction business processes, shedding light on both managerial and technical challenges. The study introduces a comprehensive technical framework meticulously designed to align with the intricate nature of construction practices while focusing on the resolution of legal complexities associated with smart contract applications and the facilitation of process collaboration and automation. The framework comprises three core modules: (1) action definition and extension to process models, (2) standardized mapping for automatic smart contract generation, and (3) smart contract visualization for reliable process collaboration and automation. This multifaceted approach caters to the specific needs of construction management, standardization, interoperability, and visualization. The framework’s practicality is further evaluated through real-world testing within a construction payment case, effectively showcasing its efficacy and applicability in tangible business scenarios. While this paper represents a significant step forward in addressing construction business process collaboration and automation challenges, it acknowledges the necessity for ongoing research and development to refine and expand these innovative solutions to meet the evolving demands of construction management.
Practical Applications
Currently, there is a significant escalation in the severity of disputes within the construction industry. The adoption of blockchain technology allows for the redistribution of trust within a construction project, shifting reliance from individuals to the system itself for better collaboration and fewer disputes. Although blockchain can help foster a more secure and transparent environment, at the process level, an efficient workflow engine is needed to activate processes in this environment. Therefore, this study proposed an approach to generating smart contract codes based on construction business processes in a standardized way and further visually executing these codes for the processes with historical transactions stored in blockchain. This approach can reduce the effort of smart contract programming and improve the standardization and credibility of smart contract generation. It can also streamline the procedure from construction business process design to final execution via predefined and visual modules. Meanwhile, the generation prototype is open sourced to provide transparency and further enhance the approach. To indicate practical implications in the real world, this study provided a case of construction payment, but the solution is not limited to the payment scenario.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2023YFC3804300) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 72301068 and 52378492). The study was conducted as part of the BIMcontracts research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the “Smart Data Economy” technology program (Project No. 01MD19006B).
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Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
Volume 38 • Issue 6 • November 2024
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This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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Received: Jan 8, 2024
Accepted: May 6, 2024
Published online: Jul 29, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 29, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Automation and robotics
- Business management
- Commercial construction
- Computer vision and image processing
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Contracts and subcontracts
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engines
- Equipment and machinery
- Methodology (by type)
- Practice and Profession
- Systems engineering
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