Existing digital solutions for construction contract administration (CCA) inadequately reflect the complexity and contractual logic of established contract forms. This study addresses this gap by developing a permissioned blockchain-based system – ChainedEOTClaim – for managing extension of time (EoT) claims in accordance with FIDIC Red Book 2017.
Adopting a Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the procedural and behavioral challenges of claims management were first identified through a literature review. The contractual logic of FIDIC Red Book 2017 was then systematically analyzed, coded into “smart contract” functions and deployed on a permissioned blockchain platform. The system was evaluated by applying it to two real-world EoT claim scenarios and demonstrating it to a group of international contract experts.
The evaluation confirmed the practical feasibility and functionality of the system, demonstrating its ability to manage the claims management process end-to-end functionalities through coded “smart contract” functions and to support traceable, rule-based interactions across six interconnected claims management stages.
The system provides CCA practitioners and contract drafting committees with an evidence-based reference for integrating blockchain into established contractual frameworks without requiring fundamental changes to existing contract forms or their logic, while preserving the contractual authority of the practitioners involved.
This study shifts the focus from blockchain per se to its application within the contractual logic of an established contract form to semi-automate problematic CCA processes. By encoding FIDIC Red Book 2017 provisions into executable “smart contract” functions and validating the system through international expert evaluation, it advances both the design foundation and practical applicability of blockchain-enabled CCA.
