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Optimising value during construction schedule acceleration
No full textConstruction Schedule Acceleration (CSA) can affect not just the time but many other project aspects. During a CSA, there can be many impacts having significant effects on the project value. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of considering quality, productivity and functionality at a CSA along with cost and time. The aim of this research is, therefore, to investigate how value can be optimised during a CSA process. A qualitative research approach was adopted. Altogether, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interview data were transcribed and analysed using a manually performed content analysis.
This study has revealed types of CSA based on the purpose (delay minimising purpose or non-delay minimising purpose) and the party who initiates it. Cost, quality, functionality, productivity and profitability were identified as main value considerations during a CSA other than time. Applicability of value management (VM) job plan stages and Earned Value Management (EVM) indicators during different CSA stages to optimise value were also found. Finally, these findings were mapped in a framework to show how VM and EVM concepts could be used in enhancing value during a CSA. The framework conceptualises the relationship between “value” and CSA and how it varies upon distinct parties of a construction project during different stages and types of CSA. The proposed framework can be used as a guidance for optimising the value during the stages of a CSA
Classification of breast cancer tumors using feature selection and CNN
No full textBreast cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases in the world and almost two million new cases are diagnosed every year. It starts from the breasts tissue and then spreads to other parts of the body. Early detection of breast cancer is important to save the life of a woman as it is related with a risen number of available treatment options. Benign and malignant are the major types of tumors and they are cancerous and non-cancerous, respectively. Benign is not dangerous since it does not destroy the nearby tissues and cannot spread or grow. Malignant tumor invades neighbouring tissues, blood vessels and spreads to other parts of the body by metastasis. Therefore, differentiating malignant from benign will help to detect breast cancer in its early stage. Nowadays, machine learning techniques are used to classify the tumor types hence the quality of lift is increased.
Several years ago, there were so many breast cancer detection approaches proposed. These approaches are proposed by using one of the two types of dataset available such as medical imaging data and feature distribution data. In imaging data, the tumor portion is cropped and then detects whether it is cancer or not. In feature distribution data, multivariate attributes were taken from the digitized image of a Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) of a breast mass to detect the cancer tumor. Those attributes are describe the characteristics of the cell nuclei present in the digitized image. Medical imaging related research requires more time and medical knowledge, therefore many authors chose the feature distribution dataset[11] to their research.
The remaining parts of this paper are assigned as follows. Section 2 gives Related work of this research. Section 3 describes the methodology of this research such as pre-processing, classification model and performance evaluation criteria. Section 4 gives experimental setup as the details about the dataset and the experimental results. Finally, Section 5 gives the conclusion of this research
Fluoride releasing kinetics in a weathered bearing biotite gneiss
No full textIn several regions of the dry zone of Sri Lanka, excessive quantities of fluoride (F-) in groundwater have affected the water quality significantly. Apart from the well-known prevalence of dental fluorosis, Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is widespread in different pockets in the dry zone of Sri Lanka
Simulation of natural fibers/waste paper composites to use as kraft papers
No full textThe consumption of papers in various applications has been increased rapidly during the past decades. To produce one ton of paper; 12 trees, 540 000 liters of water, fuel consumption for transporting the trees are used whereas 10 liters of water is needed to make one A4 paper [1]. Thus during paper production natural resources are enormously utilized as well as many chemicals are involved in the process
A Review of sustainability assessment tools on prioritizing physical safety and comfort to effectively control accidents in streets of Colombo
No full textThe definition of sustainability has evolved since it was defined by the Brundtland commission in 1987, and become comprehensive over time with defined social, environmental and economy based ‘Sustainable Development Goals’. Today the necessity and feasibility of inclusion of safety and comfort as key components of sustainable development of urban streets has become vital considering the number of accidents and crimes taking place in urban contexts. High number of road accidents have been recorded in Colombo as noted from the report issued by the Sri Lanka Department of Census and Statistics. This is primarily due to lack of regulations or any ratification on enforcing physical safety and comfort aspects. Therefore considering the principles of sustainability, and sustainability rating being established an universal quality assessment tool, it is important to incorporate physical safety and comfort as an element of sustainability in designing urban streets. The analysis is done by defining sustainability through literature review, identifying the research gap on physical safety and comfort using VOSviewer software, and assessing the significance of safety and comfort in designing urban streets using available online data
An Assessment of user preference in artificial pathway lighting in urban parks; Cases from Greater Colombo region
No full textUrban parks are critical in converting cities to liveable spaces, where artificial lighting directly affects the users’ night-time experience. This study explores the urban park users’ preferences in artificial pathway lighting, through their subjective responses towards Brightness, Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT), and luminaires of the existing lighting design, at four popular urban parks in Colombo. The reasons for the said preferences were investigated under three overarching themes: perceived safety, perceived quality of light, and restorative experience. A mixed methods approach was employed for data collection, where questionnaires were used together with measurements, in-situ observations, and photographic analysis for better understanding. The user preferences were found to be directly associated with their perception of the lit environment. The existing brightness levels are insufficient for majority of the users and has affected their perception of safety. The poor selection and placement of luminaires have negatively affected the lighting quality, while the positive effect on the users’ restorative experience has induced a higher preference towards the CCT of the light sources. The results revealed that the majority of the users opted for changes in the current lighting design, indicating that the user needs and requirements are not effectively addressed in this regard
Insights from three selected schools form Kandy, Sri Lanka
No full textChildren with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD)are found to struggle with diverse challenges in achieving quality of life in their education environments. In view of this the current investigation looked in to the impact of the quality of space in their learning environments in enhancing the Quality of life of Autistic children. Two types of school environments that accommodate students with ASD were examined namely, a special education school (A) and two mainstream schools with special educational units (B & C) in Kandy, considering 10 participants from each school (n=30). Inclusive design parameters were examined by a photographic survey and observations by the investigator and recorded via a 5-point Likert scale based on their level of presence. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedQL) was adopted to measure quality of life of participants. School A demonstrated the highest averages of for quality of space (65%) as well as quality of life ( 61.7%) while C ( 34%/48.3%) and B ( 30%/44.7%) showed lower averages respectively. Accordingly, the study observed a clear relationship between the Quality of Space and the Quality of Life of children with ASD, highlighting the potential of enhancing the quality of life of the students with ASD by improving the quality of space of local schools
Multisensory design for sense of coherence: a case study of academics’ workspaces
No full textMultisensory design in workplace plays an important role in the sense of wellbeing and sense of coherence of its users. Both are important for workplace productivity and efficiency. Workplace designs are often driven by maximising capacity and corporate identities rather than the need for improving the quality of environments and sense of wellbeing of its users which is critical for optimising workplace productivity. Multisensory design features vary across workplace environments and the response to such may also vary based on the user groups, their background, cultural differences, type of profession or work being performed etc. The study aims to explore multisensory design in workplace and its impact on sense of wellbeing and coherence of its users in a case study of a workplace of academics in a Higher Education Institution. A qualitative approach is used to collect data on user perceptions via in-depth interviews, memory sketching, visual surveys etc. The workplace multisensory design features are assessed using checklists and photographic observations. Findings show that universal factors such as adequate privacy, availability of biophilia, informal interactions in the workplace and the flexibility for personalisation enhanced sense of wellbeing and coherence in workplace., which led to a positive impact on workplace productivity.in the users
A Sustainable homestead prototype in Sundarbans Disaster adaptability through alternative building materials
No full textSundarbans as the primary coastal defense of Bangladesh against various natural disaster encounters recurrent homelessness due to these calamities, resulting in cutting down forests for housing materials from the only nearby resource. The traditional vernacular practice and socio-cultural studies show a symbiotic relationship between the forest and inhabitants, but the ecological imbalance created by climate change made life difficult for them, whose livelihood solely depends on the forest as well. The inability to reuse the building materials any disaster causes an ever-increasing cycle of carbon footprint. Regarding these, the non-experimental research aims to build such a homestead prototype that creates an adaptable solution. The existing building practices consist of non-reusable materials, poor structural integrity, and lack of sustainable approaches, thus unfit to withstand the increasing disasters and calamities. The approach discussed here utilizes plastic waste, drums, bamboo for disaster adaptability, structural flexibility, rainwater harvesting, solar, and biogas energy for a sustainable lifestyle. So, the goal is to provide a sustainable solution for the economically challenged population. This prototype creates an adaptive strategy for mitigating the disastrous events in Sundarbans to promote resilience and sustainability
Multi-hazard early warnings ; the importance of managing stakeholders for effective disaster response
No full textStakeholders in Disaster Management are those individuals or organizations that may contribute to, be affected by or can be influenced in all the phases of the disaster risk management cycle [1]. They can be government agencies, private organizations,
media, NGOs/donors, emergency insurers services and the public