Digital Repository, University of Moratuwa
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An Innovative approachto produce soil-based building products
No full textSoil has been used as a building material in different forms, such as mud, adobe, rammed earth, and bricks. Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB), a form of soil blocks with different additives including cement, fly ash, and lime, is a sustainable building material with many advantages compared to other conventional building material
Enterprise Robotic process automation
No full textRobotic Process Automation (RPA) is an emerging technology widely used across multiple sectors such as human resources, healthcare, finance, accounting, manufacturing, higher education and supply chain management, etc
Curating Kandyan traditional clothing in the UNESCO world cultural heritage in digital paradigm
No full textHistorical notions of cultural values in the heritage sector have been identified by holders of curatorial expertise based at institutions with large collections of artifacts. However, the rise of new digital technologies has facilitated not only active two-way engagement with heritage, but also a broadening of what we mean by heritage and how it can be accessed, through the co-production of exhibitions, oral histories, and other forms of display and archive based on personal remembrance, recollection and interactivity
Use of cyber–physical systems for the key roles of quantity surveyors
No full textCyber–physical systems (CPS) enable the synergistic integration of virtual models with the physical environment. CPS are being increasingly recognized because of their ability to improve information management in construction projects, make project delivery efficient, and enhance facilities management. The use of virtual models in the construction industry is growing. A quantity surveyor (QS) is responsible for estimating and monitoring construction costs from project inception to completion. The use of CPS could integrate the physical environment with the digital information available to QSs. Hence CPS has the potential to streamline the workflow related to key roles of QSs. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the ability of CPS to facilitate the key roles expected of a QS. The study used a qualitative approach, consisting of 18 semi-structured interviews. The interview findings were analysed using manual content analysis. The literature review revealed the need for CPS in the construction industry and identified the key roles of QSs. The interviewees identified the existing CPS and their supportive applications, technologies and proposed new systems. The study findings provide insights on the reforms required in the key roles of QSs when using CPS
Investigation of plant and equipment operators in building construction projects in Sri Lanka
No full textThe construction industry, which is a labour intensive and skill development of the industry would yield both economic and social returns to the national economy. Among other occupational categories, there is a significant demand for the plant and equipment (P&E) operators in the construction industry. Nevertheless, limited numbers of research are available on the said area. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate the status of P&E operators in Sri Lankan building construction projects. Accordingly, this study encompassed a qualitative research approach, and six semi-structured expert interviews were conducted as the data collection tool. The study revealed that mainly two categories of P&E as moveable and immovable and further identified subcategories under each. Based on the results, occupational map was developed for the P&E operators in building construction projects in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the study revealed that technical and mechanical skills as an essential input for an efficient P& E operator. Moreover, the paper discussed issues with P & E operators. Accordingly, inconsistency, taking long leave, poor health conditions, less experience, and less motivation were identified as prominent issues
Carbon footprint analysis of construction activities in Sri Lanka: an input-output table
No full textThe construction industry is one of the major contributors that emits carbon into the environment. When considering the carbon emission in the local context, even though there are Input-Output Tables (IOTs) that applies to all types of industries in Sri Lanka, there seems to be limited focuses on IOTs specifically relating to the construction activities which is vital for the need due to its outstanding contribution to the carbon footprint of Sri Lanka. Hence, this study aims to calculate the carbon footprint construction activities in Sri Lanka using IOT with a bottom-up approach. The required data were extracted from published documents of Survey of Construction Industry by Census and Statistics, and The Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database of UK. Carbon footprint of construction activities were calculated using IOT with a bottom-up approach. The analysis revealed that the road and railway sector have the highest contribution of 48% to the monetary value of the construction industry meanwhile it accounts for 44% of the highest carbon emission to the atmosphere in the year 2020. Subsequently, activities related to non-residential residential, and utilities contribute to 20%, 15%, and 12% of total carbon emission respectively. In terms of construction materials, cement-based activities (59%) were the highest contributor while rubble and metal-based (23%), and iron and steel-based activities (17%) were next level contributors to the carbon emission due to construction. The analysis concluded that the as the initiatives, public sector projects including road and railway sector and utilities should integrate more sustainable construction practices as they are responsible for more than 50% of carbon emission
A World of waste in one cubic meter : portraying waste to life
No full textRapid economic growth, urbanization, and increasing population have caused resource consumption to increase, and the consequent release of large amounts of waste to the environment. By 2050, the amount of waste generated in developing countries will see a threefold increase
Estimation of actual earth resistance of a complex earthing network using soil layer modelling in the finite element domain
No full textTelecom infrastructure growth rate has been rapidly increased due to higher competition among operators for them to provide reliable and quality service to the customers. Rapid increase of telecom tower construction and usage of advanced equipment has been taken in place due to the recent development in telecom sector in Sri Lanka as well. The tower being a tall structure in the environment, act as a direct path for lightning to be grounded. Though it will protect low height buildings and people in the vicinity from direct lightning strikes, having a proper earthing system with low earth resistance is a must to avoid possible hazards by ground potential rise.
Given the smaller area of the tower premises proper earthing network should be incorporated to maintain the lower earth resistance at the tower. Operators have to maintain the earth resistance at tower sites as per the TRCSL guideline for antenna structures which is below 5 ohms [1]
To meet the TRCSL guidelines operators have incorporated complex earthing systems in tower sites. Typically, the tower earthing system includes copper tapes and multiple number of rods which have made a complex earth network to achieve the lowest possible earth resistance.
Measuring earth resistance is quite hard in a complex earthing network due to parallel conductors, intersections and subjected to many assumptions including specially the homogeneity around all directions. Site measurement is the key parameter of reflecting the earth networks effectiveness to surges and lightnings.
This thesis discusses specifically the reasons for deviations in measured and theorical values. Simulated earth networks thorough ANSYS Maxwell in the finite element domain to achieve earth resistance profile has been elaborated. Site earth resistance measurements has been taken along different directions. compared with the measurements in every direction of the sites. Validation has been done by the comparison between simulation and measurement.
Analysis has done for different types of soil conditions and limitations for study has been discussed. Thesis concludes with the mechanism to estimate the accurate earth resistance of a site for a particular accuracy which also includes the general assumptions
Applicability of blockchain technology to manage financial issues in the Sri Lankan construction industry
No full textThe construction industry is one of the largest industries in any country, contributing significantly to economic growth. A range of researchers explained that the construction industry suffered from numerous issues where financial issues are more critical. Late payments, cash flow issues, and lack of security of the payment are some of them. Blockchain technology shows a potential use for managing financial activities. Therefore, this research tends to investigate the applicability of blockchain technology to manage financial issues in the Sri Lankan construction industry. A comprehensive literature survey was carried out to assess the concept of blockchain technology and identified financial issues in the construction industry. A qualitative expert opinion survey was conducted with eight construction experts who had knowledge of the blockchain technology, selected through purposive sampling to collect data in a Sri Lankan context. The collected data was analysed using the content analysis method. The findings of the expert interviews indicated that faster transactions would help to reduce late payments; removing third parties from the transaction will reduce the involvement of many parties in the transaction process; and trust, security, transparency will help to increase foreign investments. Further, the lack of knowledge in the area, legal and tax issues, low investment, and social issues will be the challenges in adopting blockchain technology to the construction industry. The research finally suggests the ways to overcome such challenges in terms of using pilot projects, government rules and regulation. Thus, the research proposes that use of blockchain technology could minimise a significant number of financial issues in the construction industry
Covid-19 and informal labour in construction : a narrative analysis of webinar discussions
No full textMany countries after a remarkable spike in COVID-19 cases, opted to lockdown and quarantine curfew that restricted the movement of people. Construction is one of the main sectors experiencing a clear impact due to COVID-19. As a significant growth driver of the economy, the domestic construction industry employs nearly one million of the population directly in various trades. Unfortunately, almost every project has been severely hampered. It is, therefore, prudent to address the impact of the pandemic on construction labour at the outset and end of the crisis to prepare for any future challenges or opportunities that it may undergo. This study aims to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on the construction industry's survival and possible measures to be taken in both the short and the long run. This paper summarizes using a narrative analysis of the key takeaways of 15 webinar discussions on the COVID-19 impact and outlook of the construction sector in Sri Lanka. The impacts and fallouts have been addressed by key industry personnel. The study found the most prominent impacts of COVID-19 are the suspension of projects, labour impact, and job loss, time overrun, cost overrun, and delay in payments. The findings of this study shed light on the consequences of the sudden occurrence of a pandemic and raise awareness of the most critical impacts which cannot be overlooked. The findings also help project stakeholders prepare for any future worst-case scenarios