Enhancing BIM security in emergency construction projects using lightweight blockchain-as-a-service

Xingyu Tao; Moumita Das; Chengliang Zheng; Yuhan Liu; Peter Kok-Yiu Wong; Yuqing Xu; Hao Liu; Xingbo Gong; Jack C P Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2023.104846

Enhancing BIM security in emergency construction projects using lightweight blockchain-as-a-service

Autom Constr. 2023 Jun:150:104846. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2023.104846. Epub 2023 Apr 5.

Authors

Xingyu Tao¹, Moumita Das¹, Chengliang Zheng^{1

2}, Yuhan Liu¹, Peter Kok-Yiu Wong¹, Yuqing Xu¹, Hao Liu¹, Xingbo Gong¹, Jack C P Cheng¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong.
² Key Laboratory of Aerospace Information Security and Trusted Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

Abstract

Rapid design and construction of mobile cabin hospitals (MCHs) have become imperative in the COVID-19 response. However, due to unique design specifications (e.g., parallel design and model pre-revision), collaboration in emergency construction projects (ECPs) like MCHs presents data security vulnerabilities, including a lack of traceability and transparency. These hazards invariably reduce design effectiveness, leading to undesirable rework and project delay. Blockchain technology is a potential solution to address the aforementioned security issues in ECPs because it offers immutable and traceable data storage. Nevertheless, directly implementing blockchain in ECPs is impractical, for the blockchain has a complex deployment process and provides limited functions supporting BIM-based design. Therefore, this paper develops a lightweight blockchain-as-a-service (LBaaS) prototype to enhance the ECPs design efficiency by securing and automating information exchange while eliminating the difficulties of deploying and using blockchain. This paper contributes three elements: (1) Security vulnerabilities of design in ECP are identified. Taking an MCH in Hong Kong as an example, this paper investigates its design process and determines two design characteristics and associated security flaws. (2) Key technologies to support easy deployment and usage of blockchain in ECPs are developed. New technical elements, including a Multi-to-One mapping (MtOM) kit for easy blockchain registration, an integrated workflow retaining existing design practices, and smart contracts for secure interaction with blockchain, are developed to support LBaaS functionality. (3) An LBaaS prototype is validated and evaluated. The prototype is illustrated and evaluated using design examples based on actual MCH project data. Results show that the LBaaS is a feasible and secure approach for ECPs collaboration. This paper deepens the understanding of data security issues in ECPs and offers technical guidance in establishing blockchain solutions.

Keywords: Blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS); Building information modeling (BIM); COVID-19; Emergency projects; Mobile cabin hospital; Smart contract.