Adopting distributed ledger technology for the sustainable construction industry: evaluating the barriers using...

Area of Science:

• Construction Management
• Information Technology in Construction
• Sustainable Development

Background:

• Construction 4.0 integrates digital technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM).
• Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), or blockchain, offers disruptive potential for the construction industry.
• Despite its potential, DLT faces significant barriers to widespread adoption and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate challenges and barriers for DLT implementation from a sustainability perspective in the construction industry.
• To identify critical factors for ensuring the sustainable integration of DLT in construction.
• To determine which barriers must be addressed for the construction industry's long-term viability with DLT.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Ordinal Priority Approach (OPA), a novel method within Multiple Attributes Decision-Making (MADM).
• Simultaneously determined the weight of sustainability attributes and implementation barriers for DLT.
• Conducted a survey to gather data on challenges and barriers in the construction sector.

Main Results:

• Key DLT implementation needs identified: data management infrastructure, advanced applications, customer demand, and taxation/reporting frameworks.
• High-priority challenges correlate with social sustainability aspects.
• Specific areas benefiting from addressing these challenges include supply chain management, transparency, anti-corruption, and fair competition.

Conclusions:

• Addressing identified barriers is essential for the sustainable integration of DLT in the construction industry.
• Solving high-ranked challenges directly contributes to social sustainability goals.
• Focusing on infrastructure, applications, customer engagement, and regulatory aspects will unlock DLT's potential in construction.