Project 8: Developing a Blockchain-Based Post-Contract Work and Payment Certification Framework for Construction Projects

The construction industry faces significant challenges, including non-compliance to standards, and suboptimal record keeping and information exchange. Compliance is confirmed through certification of construction material and workmanship. Contractually, progress payments are made based on those certifications. Accurate certification requires tracking complex information, including the quantity and quality of work executed by numerous trades. All certifications should be traceable, and negligent parties held accountable. Blockchain technology is one pathway to solve this issue. It provides a secure electronic ledger, which prevents unauthorised data manipulation and provides an audit trail. Therefore, this research aims to develop a theoretical framework to evaluate completed work and its payment certification, ensuring contractual work compliance in the built environment using blockchain technology. It incorporates a rating system with rewards and penalties to ensure credibility and ownership of certification of work.

Publications

• Nanayakkara, S, Perera, S, Bandara, HMND, Weerasuriya, GT & Ayoub, J 2019, 'Blockchain Technology and its Potential for the Construction Industry', Proceedings of the 43rd Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) Conference: Built to Thrive: Creating Buildings and Cities that Support Individual Well-being and Community Prosperity.