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Advances in Manufacturing ›› 2025, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (2): 362-376.doi: 10.1007/s40436-024-00524-x

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Blockchain-enabled platform for the quality management of the ready-mixed concrete supply chain

Wen Wang1,2, Hao Hu1, Xiao-Wei Luo2, Shi-Shu Ding1   

  1. 1. School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China;
    2. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
  • 收稿日期:2023-09-19 修回日期:2023-12-28 发布日期:2025-05-16
  • 通讯作者: Hao Hu,E-mail:hhu@sjtu.edu.cn E-mail:hhu@sjtu.edu.cn
  • 作者简介:Wen Wang is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Transportation Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests include the intelligent constr uction, manufacturing logistics and scheduling.
    Hao Hu is a professor at the Department of Transportation Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He received Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from National University of Singapore in 2001. His main research interests include intelligent construction, construction project management and manufacturing logistics and scheduling.
    Xiao-Wei Luo is an associate professor at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong. He received Ph.D. degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management from the University of Texas at Austin. His main research interests include construction robotics, digital twin and construction safety management.
    Shi-Shu Ding is a Ph.D candidate at the Department of Transportation Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests include blockchain-based supply chain management in precast construction.

Blockchain-enabled platform for the quality management of the ready-mixed concrete supply chain

Wen Wang1,2, Hao Hu1, Xiao-Wei Luo2, Shi-Shu Ding1   

  1. 1. School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China;
    2. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
  • Received:2023-09-19 Revised:2023-12-28 Published:2025-05-16
  • Contact: Hao Hu,E-mail:hhu@sjtu.edu.cn E-mail:hhu@sjtu.edu.cn

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摘要： Currently quality information management of the ready-mixed concrete (RMC) is manually operated, facing risks like poor traceability, information tampering, and fragmentation in the RMC supply chain. To this end, this study proposes a Blockchain-IPFS (interplanetary file system)-enabled information management platform for improving transparency, traceability, and effectiveness of RMC quality management. Specifically, through a semi-structured interview investigating the potential benefits and applications of Blockchain, a transformative Blockchain-based management mode for RMC quality management is constructed. Based on that, a novel Blockchain-based architecture is further proposed by integrating with IPFS and cloud service for addressing its data storage limitation. Furthermore, the information flows and smart contracts representing physical and cyber interactions among multiple supply chain stakeholders are illustrated in detail. Finally, a real-world case study is presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed model. A prototype system is established with solutions for client-cloud collaboration, multi-source data fusion, and enterprise privacy protection, detailing the practical application of proposed model in actual projects. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed model can improve the quality management of RMC supply chain from three aspects: transparency, traceability, and information sharing. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a novel architecture leveraging both Blockchain and IPFS in storing small-sized and large-sized information. Meanwhile, this research moves beyond conceptual framework and implements the theoretical benefits of Blockchain into engineering practice. Technical components in this paper can be adapted for multiple applications in the construction industry, providing valuable references for future search efforts.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-024-00524-x

关键词: Blockchain, Interplanetary file system (IPFS), Information management, Quality management, Ready-mixed concrete (RMC)

Abstract: Currently quality information management of the ready-mixed concrete (RMC) is manually operated, facing risks like poor traceability, information tampering, and fragmentation in the RMC supply chain. To this end, this study proposes a Blockchain-IPFS (interplanetary file system)-enabled information management platform for improving transparency, traceability, and effectiveness of RMC quality management. Specifically, through a semi-structured interview investigating the potential benefits and applications of Blockchain, a transformative Blockchain-based management mode for RMC quality management is constructed. Based on that, a novel Blockchain-based architecture is further proposed by integrating with IPFS and cloud service for addressing its data storage limitation. Furthermore, the information flows and smart contracts representing physical and cyber interactions among multiple supply chain stakeholders are illustrated in detail. Finally, a real-world case study is presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed model. A prototype system is established with solutions for client-cloud collaboration, multi-source data fusion, and enterprise privacy protection, detailing the practical application of proposed model in actual projects. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed model can improve the quality management of RMC supply chain from three aspects: transparency, traceability, and information sharing. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a novel architecture leveraging both Blockchain and IPFS in storing small-sized and large-sized information. Meanwhile, this research moves beyond conceptual framework and implements the theoretical benefits of Blockchain into engineering practice. Technical components in this paper can be adapted for multiple applications in the construction industry, providing valuable references for future search efforts.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-024-00524-x

Key words: Blockchain, Interplanetary file system (IPFS), Information management, Quality management, Ready-mixed concrete (RMC)

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