The application of smart construction technologies is becoming a crucial approach to improving safety performance in the construction industry. Existing research often focuses on the qualitative analysis of specific technologies, neglecting a comprehensive empirical examination of the characteristics of smart construction technologies and their impact on project safety performance. This study identifies five principal characteristics of smart construction technology: integration, automation, initiative, shareability, and sustainability. By integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the task–technology fit (TTF) model, we propose a theoretical path of “technology characteristics–perceived behavior–behavioral intention–safety performance” and develop a structural equation model to assess the effect of these characteristics on safety performance. The results indicate that these characteristics have a significant direct impact on safety performance, with the estimated direct effect reaching as high as 0.61. Additionally, these characteristics positively influence safety performance indirectly through mediating variables such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, usage intention, and usage behavior. This study empirically verifies the pathways through which smart construction technology characteristics affect safety performance, providing theoretical support for the widespread application of these technologies in construction engineering and enhancing safety management.

China’s construction industry is facing increasing pressure for transformation and upgrading, with high-quality development becoming an essential goal. However, the precise definition and evaluation criteria for high-quality development remain ambiguous. Against this backdrop, this study focuses on 11 cities in Zhejiang province to explore the connotations of high-quality development in the construction industry and establishes an evaluation index system for assessing it. This study employs the entropy weight method and matter–element extension method to evaluate the high-quality development levels of the construction industry across these cities. The empirical results reveal that the development of the construction industry in Zhejiang province is uneven across cities, with significant potential for overall improvement. This study validates the proposed index system and evaluation model while supplementing empirical evidence; it also enriches the literature and provides both theoretical and technical support for advancing the construction industry’s transition toward high-quality development.