Conceptual visualization of openBIMdisk showing object-level BIM diffs and blockchain-backed virtual storage.
International research team, September 12, 2025
A research team has introduced tSDT and openBIMdisk to make BIM exchanges leaner and traceable. tSDT records semantic, object-level differences so only real model edits become transactions, while openBIMdisk exposes a Blockchain 3.0 virtual disk that stores lightweight change records on-chain and keeps bulky files off-chain. In a modular construction pilot the method used about 0.007% of disk space for change records and returned version/object queries in around 5.3 ms. The approach reduces bandwidth and storage waste and offers fine-grained traceability, though larger trials and improved change-fusion remain next steps.
A new research paper describes a system designed to cut duplicate data and make changes in building information models easier to track across project teams. The approach centers on a traceable semantic differential transaction method, called tSDT, and a working platform named openBIMdisk. The study reports extremely small storage needs for recorded changes and fast response times for version checks.
The paper, published in 2025 in Frontiers of Engineering Management and available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-024-4006-x, reports that in a pilot on a modular construction project the system reduced stored change data to an average of 0.007% of disk space when keeping and restoring all BIM changes. The platform also supported object‑level semantic traceability and version management with a measured response time of 5.3 ms.
Multidisciplinary teams commonly share BIM files in whole file form. That practice sends many objects that have not changed, wastes storage and bandwidth, and makes it hard to trace who changed what. Even when teams use an industry file format such as IFC, problems remain with redundant transmission, limited trace detail at the object or semantic level, and concerns about data integrity.
The tSDT method computes semantic differences between versions of BIM content so that only changes are recorded and exchanged. openBIMdisk implements tSDT on what the authors call a Blockchain 3.0 virtual disk. The virtual disk links with multiple blockchain services and keeps traces of semantic‑level transactions while keeping large BIM files out of the blockchain itself.
The system follows a hybrid pattern: small metadata and semantic diffs are recorded in the distributed ledger environment while full model files remain off‑chain in a distributed file layer. That design aims to combine the tamper resistance and traceability of blockchains with the storage efficiency of off‑chain file systems.
The pilot used a modular construction project to test storing, restoring, and tracing model changes. The authors report that tSDT yielded near‑negligible storage overhead for tracked changes and that openBIMdisk supported object‑level traceability and quick responses for version and object queries. Those measurements point to practical performance for engineering teams that need fast version checks and audit trails.
Past work has shown hybrid on‑chain/off‑chain designs using blockchains and distributed file systems can help. A 2022 study developed a collaborative model that used blockchain for metadata and IPFS for file storage, and applied a semantic diff approach to record incremental updates. The new openBIMdisk work builds on similar ideas but packages semantic differential transactions and a virtual disk interface designed to work with multiple blockchain services and to give users a more intuitive exchange experience.
The main contributions identified by the authors are the tSDT method for efficient semantic change traceability and the openBIMdisk application that exposes that method through a user‑friendly interface on a Blockchain 3.0 virtual disk. The paper documents experimental evidence from a real project and points to practical response times and storage savings.
The authors also note practical limits. Recording and fusing semantic diffs can add processing steps, and scaling semantic diff computations to some extremely large models will require further work. The architecture depends on a hybrid on‑chain/off‑chain tradeoff: blockchains are used for trace and integrity records while large files are kept off‑chain to avoid blockchain size limits.
For project teams sharing BIM across disciplines, three outcomes matter most: lower data redundancy, clear traceability of who changed what at the object level, and secure records that resist tampering. The tSDT/openBIMdisk approach targets all three, aiming to reduce wasted transfers, speed up version checks, and give reliable audit trails without storing bulky model files on a ledger.
The paper is titled Open BIM exchange on Blockchain 3.0 virtual disk: A traceable semantic differential transaction approach by Lingming Kong, Rui Zhao, Chimay J. Anumba, Weisheng Lu and Fan Xue, published in Frontiers of Engineering Management (2025), volume 12, issue 3, pages 510–528. The full text is open access at the DOI above.
tSDT stands for traceable semantic differential transaction. It is a method to compute and record only the semantic differences between BIM versions so that exchanges store and transmit minimal change data while keeping a clear trace of who made each change.
openBIMdisk is a platform that implements tSDT and offers a Blockchain 3.0 virtual disk interface. It keeps semantic diffs and metadata on a distributed ledger and links to off‑chain storage for full BIM files.
In the reported pilot, storing and restoring all BIM changes used an average of about 0.007% of disk space compared with storing full file copies, indicating very large potential savings for change history.
The system records traceable metadata and signed diffs on a distributed ledger. That provides tamper‑resistant records and an audit trail while keeping large model files off‑chain for speed and scale.
The method works with existing BIM formats and industry standards. It is meant to reduce redundant transfers and add semantic traceability rather than replace modeling standards.
The paper is available open access at the DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-024-4006-x.
| Feature | What it does | Reported metric / note |
|---|---|---|
| tSDT | Computes semantic diffs and records changes at object level | Minimizes redundancy; enables semantic traceability |
| openBIMdisk | Provides a virtual disk UI connecting tSDT to multiple blockchains | Designed for intuitive BIM exchange |
| Storage approach | Hybrid on‑chain metadata / off‑chain file storage | Avoids storing large BIM files on chain |
| Pilot performance | Measured storage and response for version queries | 0.007% average disk use for changes; 5.3 ms response time |
| Use case tested | Modular construction project | Pilot demonstrated practical exchange and traceability |
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