A research review on the integration of BIM and blockchain in the AEC industry

BIM as a computer-aided modeling technology is seen as a fundamental necessity in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry due to its ability to visualize the design, manage project information, and collaborate between stakeholders. Despite the benefits, the BIM process deals with a series of risks related to data ownership, trust, transparency, and security. Thus, researchers and academics explore blockchain, a decentralized distributed ledger technology, to obtain a solution addressing these problems and improving project collaboration. This paper examines the existing research studies on integrating BIM and blockchain in the AEC industry and maps its implementation at different stages of the project life cycle. The results conclude that the integration of BIM and blockchain can significantly improve BIM performance in all AEC project stages. It provides a secure and effective platform for data management, supply management, automated payment system, safety inspection information system and builds permit issuance system and monitoring and management system.