Mohammed S. Alnahari

A smart city can be defined as an integration of systems comprising a plethora of task-oriented technologies that aim to evolve and advance with city and infrastructure needs while providing services to citizens and resolving urban challenges through intersystem and data-driven analytical means, with minimal human intervention. Applications of technology include management, operations, and finance. One such technology is Blockchain. A main advantage of Blockchain is the simplification of processes that are costly and time-consuming. This is accomplished by simplifying operations to minimize costs resulting from the decentralization of assets. Blockchain has been proven to facilitate transparency, security, and the elimination of data fragmentation. However, as a relatively new technology, it poses regulatory obstacles. This issue can be attributed to the fact that many infrastructural governing organizations have incomplete knowledge of their infrastructure, which can lead to confusion when attempting to comprehend the different elements of the infrastructure, resulting in a lack of direction when trying to solve a problem. This paper explores the different applications of Blockchain technology in the sectors of energy, transportation, water, construction, and government, and provides a mechanism for implementing this technology in smart cities. As a present component of infrastructure management systems, Blockchain may potentially serve as the initial step toward upgrading infrastructure technology.

Blockchain technology enables encrypted and secure logging and transactions for information and data. This technology is expected to revolutionize computing in several areas, mainly where centralization is unnatural, and privacy is important. We are driven by circumstance and the complexity of underground utilities, which need measures to record information, secure data, and utilize new technologies with recorded information and store it into a secure digital platform. The platform must be able to deal with different types of files and documents with high efficiency and workability. Current problems due to uncertain information regarding the location of existing underground utilities often leads to striking of such utilities. This study describes blockchain technology and a proposed application to manage infrastructure utilities. The paper compares blockchain with Underground Infrastructure Management (UIM) and One Call System 811, and the potential advantage of this technology to manage underground utilities. Potential integration with blockchain and UIM is described to maximize infrastructure sustainability in underground utilities with respect to security and management. The research presented is focused on exploring the possibilities that blockchain has to offer with regard to protection of underground utilities.