Browsing by Author "Mahaarachchi, TN"

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item: Thesis-Abstract
Feasibility of using lightweight load-bearing panel systems in duplex apartments of tall buildings
(2023) Mahaarachchi, TN; Jayasinghe MTR
As an inevitable result of the growing population in recent times, requirements for housing facilities, land scarcity, and overexploitation of natural resources have created many problems, both environmental and social. Due to the shortage of land in cities, land prices have increased rapidly in recent times. One solution for the lack of land is to have multi-storey apartment buildings, though the land prices can be distributed among many owners. Because of that, over the last few decades, the number of tall buildings has seen an exponential increase. Moreover, because of the urbanization of cities, more people tend to live in apartment buildings than in small housing units. Along with that, the time taken for the construction and the cost can be identified as significant issues in construction. To overcome these problems, lightweight EPS panels can be considered a proper alternative. This research is mainly focused on assessing the structural feasibility of a duplex apartment with tall buildings. This can have a significant cost benefit since the strong post-tensioned concrete floor is needed only once on two floors. To achieve that, load-bearing partitions should be lightweight. The lightweight NERD slab system is used in the duplex apartment intermediate floor due to its low cost and light weight. To assess the structural feasibility, an idealized finite element model was done using the MIDAS GEN commercial package. The conventional type of tall building is modelled using the same software and compared with the duplex model. In high-rise buildings, providing car parking within apartment buildings often leads to a situation where different grid arrangements exist on the parking and apartment floors. Another grid arrangement for a tall building requires a transfer system, such as a transfer plate or transfer beams. This study explores the transfer plate effect due to the duplex house’s architectural form. The feasibility study was carried out with a fifty-seven storey building as a case study. The results obtained from the two analytical models were used to check the structural feasibility of lightweight EPS panels as a load-bearing panel system in duplex apartments. Keywords: EPS light-weight wall panels, duplex apartments, tall buildings
item: Conference-Abstract
Innovative reusable lightweight cement blocks
(2019) Mahaarachchi, TN; Perera, SVTJ
The cement blocks are a prefabricated material mainly used to build masonry walls in construction industry. Self-weight of units, workmanship and construction time are key factors affecting the masonry wall construction. The constructing of walls, ensure that the cement blocks are properly aligned with one another and need the skilled and highly paid masons for these masonry works. Considering these facts, the interlocking block masonry offer great advantage in masonry construction. The main feature of this interlocking block system is elimination of mortar layer with the tongue and groove method of the interlocking block. The demand of natural sand in the construction industry has increased due to the reduction of sources and an increase in price. Although, the self-weight of the structure can be reduced by introducing the hollow nature for the masonry blocks and also cost of the construction materials can be reduced due to the reduction of volume of the cement block. The goal in any interlocking system is to ensure efficient construction formation with well aligned masonry structures without skilled masons. Therefore, construction cost can be reduced due to the low skilled workers. Furthermore, the interlocking nature of these innovative blocks can be used for the reusable block. This paper presents an experimental investigation was carried out to introduce a new shape of cement block with interlocking behaviour for masonry wall construction, to fulfil the above-mentioned requirements. The interlocking hollow blocks developed were 390mm × 200mm × 190mm in size with a weight of 21.05 kg. The experimental investigation has shown that average compressive strength of block was 3.25N/mm2 and wall panel strength was 0.93N/mm2, therefore it can be used for load bearing masonry walls. It was also observed the innovative block is economical than conventional blocks.