Purpose – Circular construction promotes the reuse of building components, yet a key challenge is to reliably link long-term information with physical products. This study aims to investigate how to implement a decentralized identifier system linking physical products to their digital data, and the design requirements necessary to evaluate these systems within circular construction. Design/methodology/approach – A pragmatist sequential multi-methods approach is applied, integrating technical prototyping, performance evaluation, and stakeholder validation. This study explores different identifiers (decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and tokens) and data carriers (QR codes and NFC chips). A mobile application prototype is developed and tested for operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and usability. Findings – QR codes outperform NFC chips in ease of use and efficiency, while DIDs offer higher interoperability compared to token-based identifiers. Blockchain technologies ensure long-term data integrity but introduce cost and complexity trade-offs. Stakeholder feedback highlights the importance of accessibility, user interface clarity, and legacy system interoperability for successful adoption. Research limitations/implications – This study is exploratory, with validation conducted in controlled environments rather than active deconstruction sites. Future work should test long-term performance in real-world reuse scenarios. Nonetheless, the findings have broad implications for research, practice, and society by guiding the development of robust traceability systems that enhance building component reuse and tracking for construction practices. Originality/value – This research contributes to circular construction by systematically evaluating decentralized and physically backed identifiers for tracking building components. It provides empirical insights into various technological configurations and establishes a foundational design framework for digital product passports in circular supply chains.

The field of construction informatics is fragmented and lacks clarity in understanding the interconnection of different data management strategies. This makes it challenging to address industry-specific data management issues. Using a critical interpretive synthesis, this study reviews and integrates both present and emerging data management approaches in construction informatics. The review is meant to be comprehensive, encompassing technologies and concepts such as Open Schema, Information Container, Common Data Environments, Linked Data, as well as cutting-edge Web3 technologies such as blockchain and decentralized data protocols. The different approaches are identified and classified into five categories and mapped into a two-dimensional framework that considers data storage and data processing modes. The systematic categorization provides a simple, but comprehensive understanding of data management strategies in construction informatics. Moreover, the framework allows to identify the state of the art and trends of data management approaches, providing guidance for future research perspectives, especially in the intersection with Web3 technologies.

This paper presents a first conceptualization for decentralized project delivery through the combination of blockchain technology and common pool resource governance theory, also known as the ”crypto commons”. While previous literature on project delivery models identifies the use of decentralized governance, there is not yet a holistic conceptualization nor a specific overview of governance applications that can be applied. To develop the concept, we use a literature review to synthesize fourteen blockchain governance mechanisms useful for managing the crypto-commons. Subsequently, we use systematic combining to identify twenty-two specific applications for decentralized project delivery in the construction industry, one of the largest project-based industries. Each application is briefly reviewed, and examples of their relevance to realize decentralized project delivery models are provided. We discuss the potential for novel forms of project delivery, but also the need for future research on the applications, as well as on the system level implications, the system design challenges, and the implementation barriers in the specific context of the construction industry. Overall, the concepts and mechanisms presented provide a theoretical foundation upon which future researchers can use to design novel decentralized project delivery models.

Long-term access to lifecycle data is key to a successful transition towards a circular built environment. However, the underlying technology often remains centralized and risks becoming inaccessible over time. In this paper, we investigate whether decentralized access methods using Web3, i.e. blockchain and decentralized data storage protocols, can help to mitigate this limitation. We implement Web3 data access mechanisms for a material passport with both a role-based and a token-based smart contract. Initial results suggest that Web3 offers a promising approach to data access over the lifecycle of a built asset-but only with careful design choices.

Adoption of digital fabrication (dfab) in AEC promises great advantages in productivity, sustainability, and new design and delivery opportunities. Companies are interested in adopting dfab, but lack an overview of emerging dfab technologies and their use potential, as well as tools to evaluate their match with the own needs and business interests. Based on a qualitative analysis of five emerging dfab technologies, we developed an easy-to-use scoreboard to guide firms’ decision-making when adopting dfab technologies towards industrial implementation.