Unveiling the digital horizon - bridging the realms of digital twinning and construction project management performance

The digitalisation of the construction industry is deemed a crucial element in Construction 4.0’s vision, attainable through the implementation of digital twinning. It is perceived as a virtual strategy to surmount the constraints linked with traditional construction projects, thereby augmenting their productivity and effectiveness. However, the neglect to investigate the causal relationship between implementation and construction project management performance has resulted from a lack of understanding and awareness regarding the consequences of digital twinning implementation, combined with a shortage of expertise among construction professionals. Consequently, this paper extensively explores the relationship between digital twinning implementation and construction project management performance. The Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) is employed to investigate this relationship, utilising a quantitative research approach through document analysis and questionnaire surveys. Additionally, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software is employed to deduce the relationship. The results underscore that digital twinning implementation significantly improves construction project management performance. Despite recognising various challenges in digital twinning implementation, when regarded as moderating factors, these challenges do not significantly impact the established causal relationship. Therefore, this investigation aligns with the national push toward the digitalisation of the construction sector, highlighting the positive impacts of digital twinning implementation on construction project management performance. Moreover, this study details the impacts of implementing digital twinning from the construction industry’s perspective, including positive and negative impacts. Afterwards, this paper addresses the existing research gap, providing a more precise understanding and awareness among construction industry participants, particularly in developing nations.