Blockchain-Enabled Materials Lifecycle Management for Advancing Circular Economy Practices in the Construction Industry: A Systematic Review
Abstract
The construction industry faces significant challenges in materials management, including inefficient supply chains and limited adoption of Circular Economy (CE) goals, which blockchain may address through automated tracking and verification systems. This systematic review examines blockchain technology applications in construction materials management to support CE strategies. Following PRISMA guidelines, 138 articles were selected from 1891 publications across four databases covering 2018 to 2025. The findings present a lifecycle-based framework across five building stages integrating smart contracts, IoT sensors, digital material passports, and tokenized waste exchange systems. Blockchain enables automated supply chain transparency, eliminates manual verification, and facilitates continuous material tracking. This research contributes by transforming conventional materials management into autonomous, data-driven workflows through a blockchain-enabled framework that systematically maps automated solutions for tracking, compliance, and circular resource flows across five building lifecycle stages, enabling practitioners to implement automated CE strategies.