Off-site construction is an innovative type of construction with the philosophy of standardizing the process and deploying the latest technological enablers. Many technologies, such as the Building Information Model (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), etc., are concerned with virtual representation and manipulation of the physical site. However, a holistic view of the off-site construction processes is lacking in the exploration of the technological advances, resulting in inconsistency when applying these advances in practice. The concept of Digital Twin is useful for addressing this challenge. Digital Twin is a philosophy and a collection of technologies aimed toward seamless physical and virtual connections. Therefore, a holistic Off-site Construction Digital Twin model is necessary for any research concerning this topic, and an assessment framework is useful in helping off-site construction industry companies in approaching systematic Digital Twin. This research first proposes a model for Off-site Construction Digital Twin. To quantify this model, an assessment tool named Off-site Construction Digital Twin Maturity Level is proposed. The validation and evaluation of this assessment framework are conducted through a case study with ACQBuilt, an off-site construction company in Edmonton, Canada. The resulting assessment framework contributes to the body of knowledge in two ways: Firstly, it sets the foundation for an Off-site Construction Digital Twin, which is anticipated to significantly reduce waste and to improve efficiency. Secondly, it enables easier technology application in practice by offering a holistic Digital Twin framework.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the short-term mechanical performance of timber screw connections comprising two types of fasteners suitable for a novel panelized roof design process. Thirty-seven specimens of five different connection configurations were tested under quasi-static monotonic loading. The main objective of this study is to provide a preliminary assessment of connection capacity that is key to the successful implementation of a proposed panelized roof design method. It also provides the basis to assist in the development of a numerical model of the novel roof assembly. Additionally, the experimental data are used to check the validity of existing analytical approaches for predicting the strengths of screwed connections comprising engineered wood members. The validation exercise shows that available analytical models can be used to predict the connection capacity of the novel panelized roof.