Browsing by Author "Palliyaguru, R"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

item: Conference-Full-text
Adapting the standard forms of contract to minimize the contractual effects of COVID-19 on construction projects.
(2022-06-24) Perera, C; Palliyaguru, R; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
The construction industry is a major economic driver in Sri Lanka. However, the construction industry was significantly affected by the responses made by the Sri Lankan government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of those government responses on construction projects are diverse as time, cost, and qualityrelated impacts. These effects resulted in numerous contractual effects that were mostly to be dealt with reference to the provisions made in the standard forms of contracts such as ICTAD/SBD/02 and FIDIC 1999 in Sri Lanka. Since no similar pandemic has affected Sri Lanka at this magnitude before, neither ICTAD/SBD/02 nor FIDIC 1999 have been drafted giving due consideration to such exceptional circumstances. Furthermore, no studies that researched these kinds of aspects can be found in the existing literature. Hence, this research aims to explore the effects of the responses made by the Sri Lankan government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry and the possible adaptations of standard forms of contracts to address the contractual implications of those effects to mitigate the effects on the contractual parties in both building and civil engineering projects. A desk review was carried out to identify the existing provisions of ICTAD/SBD/02 and FIDIC 1999 to overcome the effects of pandemic situations, and three case studies, including two building projects and one civil engineering project, were used for the empirical data collection. Representing contractors, consultants, and employers, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted within the three case studies. The research findings reveal that a collaborative approach with cost and time-sharing is the best approach to address the effects of a pandemic situation. Furthermore, defining terminologies, developing transparency in contractual relationships, and establishing an equal assessment basis can all aid in the contractual development of the ICTAD/SBD/02. As a result, the study suggests improving documentation practices, developing guidelines for amicable settlement, and eliminating the adversarial effects of ICTAD/SBD/02 through an equal assessment process. Thus, this research contributes to the further development of ICTAD/SBD/02 while also improving Sri Lankan building and civil engineering projects by reducing contractual issues in future pandemics
item: Conference-Full-text
Conceptual framework for effective implementation of ‘project management institute’s standard for earned value management’ in Sri Lanka
Deniyage, CJ; Palliyaguru, R
Successful accomplishment of a project requires effective management of its performance. The performance of the most construction projects is tracked utilizing planned cost vs. actual cost measures only. Earned Value Management (EVM) technique came into existence as an effective performance measurement and a feedback tool for managing projects by emphasizing more on the Earned Value (EV) of projects. Regardless of the immense benefits of EVM, there are significant deficiencies in the process of implementation of the EVM technique in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework for effective implementation of EVM in the Sri Lankan construction industry with specific reference to the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) standard for EVM. A qualitative research approach was used to accomplish the aim of the study. The empirical findings were analyzed using the manual content analysis technique to determine the degree of implementation of the PMI’s standard for EVM in Sri Lanka. The deficiency of professionals and inadequate conceptual knowledge were identified as the most critical barriers associated with the implementation process of the EVM technique. Allocating a separate team to execute the EVM technique, arranging short courses on EVM, developing a standard master format for project performance measurement are the measures that this study recommends promoting the adoption of the EVM technique in the Sri Lankan construction industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
Conceptual framework for effective implementation of project management institute’s standard for earned value management’ in Sri Lanka
Deniyage, CJ; Palliyaguru, R
Successful accomplishment of a project requires effective management of its performance. The performance of the most construction projects is tracked utilizing planned cost vs. actual cost measures only. Earned Value Management (EVM) technique came into existence as an effective performance measurement and a feedback tool for managing projects by emphasizing more on the Earned Value (EV) of projects. Regardless of the immense benefits of EVM, there are significant deficiencies in the process of implementation of the EVM technique in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework for effective implementation of EVM in the Sri Lankan construction industry with specific reference to the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) standard for EVM. A qualitative research approach was used to accomplish the aim of the study. The empirical findings were analyzed using the manual content analysis technique to determine the degree of implementation of the PMI’s standard for EVM in Sri Lanka. The deficiency of professionals and inadequate conceptual knowledge were identified as the most critical barriers associated with the implementation process of the EVM technique. Allocating a separate team to execute the EVM technique, arranging short courses on EVM, developing a standard master format for project performance measurement are the measures that this study recommends promoting the adoption of the EVM technique in the Sri Lankan construction industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
Deficiencies in bespoke labour subcontract agreements: The case of large-scale contractors in the Sri Lankan construction industry
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2022-06-24) Arampath, AMNN; Palliyaguru, R; Karunasena, G; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Gunatilake, S
Labour subcontracting has become popular and has been extensively utilized in the building construction industry due to the potential for a reduction in initial cost for site mobilization. However, there are high risks involved in labour subcontracting due to inadequate and ambiguous subcontract agreements, which lead to disputes between parties. Thus, this paper aims to identify the deficiencies in large-scale contractors’ bespoke labour subcontract agreements in the Sri Lankan construction industry. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with main contractors (CS1 and CS2 as per the CIDA registrations) to identify the current practice of labour subcontracting and the terms/clauses included in their company-based labour subcontract agreement. The collected data was then subjected to a content analysis, and accordingly, deficiencies in the agreements were identified that fall into areas such as defects in the works, materials, tools and equipment, contract termination, discipline at the site, services provided by the main contractor, penalties, dispute management, health and safety, retention clause, quality of the works, rate of progress, laws and regulations, variations, insurance, and skill of the labour subcontractors
item: Conference-Full-text
Defining critical infrastructure for Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2022-06-24) Randeniya, M; Palliyaguru, R; Amaratunga, D; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Gunatilake, S
In the last few decades, infrastructure has played a major role in supporting modern society. Moreover, there has been an increase in natural and human-induced disasters worldwide. In these situations, securing infrastructure is a major requirement. Confusion and misinformation can result if the boundaries of what constitutes critical infrastructure for a country are not clearly defined. Identification of critical infrastructure is the first step in the process of securing and protecting the available critical assets. This study aims to establish the infrastructure that can be classified as "critical infrastructure" in Sri Lanka. This includes establishing a clear margin for subsectors that fall within and operate within critical infrastructure and, consequently, ascertaining a clear definition for the critical infrastructure of the nation. This study adopted a mixed-method approach, which included an initial comprehensive literature analysis on infrastructure and the parameters involved in determining the criticality of infrastructure. Secondly, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine which infrastructure sectors would be most critical to Sri Lanka. The most significant infrastructures with the parameters of national security, economic sustainability, quality of life, public health, and safety, the criticality of infrastructure were ranked in both pre- and post-disaster scenarios, and an appropriate margin for the Sri Lankan critical infrastructure was demonstrated. The emergency services sector was found to have the most significant infrastructure in both pre- and post-disaster situations. Accordingly, the study reveals emergency services, water, energy, transportation, telecommunication, and finance as the critical infrastructures for Sri Lanka.
item: Conference-Full-text
Health and safety (h&s) challenges confronted by foreign workers in the malaysian construction industry: a background study
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2018-06) Ismail, R; Palliyaguru, R; Karunasena, G; Othman, NA; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
Many scholars indicated that the occupational accidents rate for foreign workers is higher than for domestic workers in Malaysia. In 2015, a total of 140 Malaysia construction workers have suffered fatal injuries, consisting of 47 locals and 93 foreigners and these statistics show that the number of foreign workers who were killed was 2 times more than the number of local workers who died. This paper will therefore aim to promote a better understanding of the role of health and safety practices through identification of the challenges among foreign workers in Malaysian construction industry. The main study to which this paper relates actually adopts a mixed approach for empirical data collection. Whereas this paper is entirely based on secondary data collated through an extensive critical literature review. Findings of this paper provides a general overview of the health and safety challenges faced by foreign workers such as human-rights related problems, difficulty of applying working permit, communication barriers, compensation and insurance scheme, equal treatment, working environment and accommodation issues in Malaysian construction industry which has the potential to lead the relevant authorities such as policy makers and governmental officials in taking necessary steps to improve the safety practices among the local and foreign workers.
item: Conference-Full-text
Legal and policy provisions for protecting energy and telecommunication infrastructure against hazards: comparison between Sri Lanka and other countries
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Randeniya, M; Palliyaguru, R; Amaratunga, D
In the recent years, Sri Lanka’s focus on its infrastructure has grown due to its significance to the country’s economy, security, and quality of life. A resilient critical infrastructure system is crucial in reducing the impact of natural and human induced risks and weaknesses. In this context, comprehensive knowledge of a nation’s legal and policy framework would be of great assistance in building pathways towards strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure systems. Concerning the need, this study aims to assess the ability of the existing legal and policy framework for complex, interdependent infrastructure systems in Sri Lanka to protect its energy and telecommunication infrastructure against natural and human-induced hazards. The objectives of the study include: (1) determining the existing legal and policy framework for energy, telecommunication infrastructure in Sri Lanka; and (2) comparing the legal and policy provisions for protecting these infrastructures against hazards in Sri Lanka with the international context. The study involved a comprehensive literature synthesis to understand the scope of critical infrastructure in the global context. Further, preliminary interviews were conducted to obtain the direction for the identification of the existing legal and policy framework related to the infrastructure sectors in Sri Lanka. Finally, the study examined the available provisions in the framework, alongside a desk study, to assess their effectiveness in safeguarding critical infrastructure. A comparison between Sri Lanka and the international context highlighted significant gaps in the legal and policy framework, particularly in terms of protecting the nation's infrastructure.
item: Conference-Full-text
A Maturity model for digitalisation of small and medium enterprise contractors in the Sri Lankan construction industry: a focus on client and technology dimensions
(Department of Building Economics, 2024) Devapriya, DPALC; Palliyaguru, R; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Ranadewa, KATO; Chandanie, H
Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) tremendously contribute to Sri Lanka's economy, providing employment opportunities and contributing to the total Gross Domestic Product of the country. However, many SMEs underperform due to limited digital technology use. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption, highlighting the potential for significant competitive advantages through digital transformation. This research aimed to identify key digitalisation aspects relevant to small and medium-scale construction firms and establish a mechanism for assessing the maturity of digitalisation by proposing a digitalisation maturity model tailored to SMEs operating within the Sri Lankan construction industry. The maturity model was derived based on the findings from a comprehensive literature review and a focus group discussion that was composed of ten construction professionals. The primary dimensions of the model include Client, Technology, Operations, Organisation and Culture. However, this manuscript presents a detailed study carried out for Client and Technology dimensions only. Within these two dimensions, nine sub-dimensions and 41 digital criteria were identified, which can be employed for the assessment of digital maturity within organisations.
item: Conference-Full-text
Untapped potentials of built environment professionals in national disaster resilience action plans in Sri Lanka
Palliyaguru, R; Nawarathna, A; Jayalath, C
Even though many governments have ambitious plans for speedy and effective post disaster recovery a less success rate has been recorded in many parts of the World including Sri Lanka. In light of this situation, a growing call has been evident for greater engagement of the construction industry in the global effort of disaster resilience. This research is therefore aimed at recognizing the specific role(s) of built environment professionals previously unidentified in disaster resilience action plans in Sri Lanka. The research commenced with a literature review including the Sendai Framework which was the first major agreement of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. A detailed desk review involved mapping the currently defined roles of the public sector in disaster resilience building in the National Disaster Management Plan (NDPM) in Sri Lanka with the open-source guideline called “The Built Environment Professions in Disaster Risk Reduction and Response” co-authored by Lloyd- Jones et al. (2009) that defines 29 distinct roles of built environment professionals. This research reveals that the built environment professionals in Sri Lanka have been heavily unrecognized and underutilized in the cause of disaster resilience where only 10 roles have been earmarked