Browsing by Author "Rameezdeen, R"

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item: Conference-Full-text
3R.6R extended water hierarchy model for sustainable use of water during construction
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2016-07) Waidyasekara, KGAS; De Silva, L; Rameezdeen, R; Sandanayake, YG; Karunasena, GI; Ramachandra, T
There is a broad consensus in literature that effective utilisation of natural resources in any industry greatly influences sustainability of built environment. Hence, better management strategies of water began to emerge in all sectors; thus, different dimensions are in need to assess different industries. With this scenario, water sustainability on construction sites is one significant area, which demands the attention of construction stakeholders. Today many construction projects survive on potable water, and many strategies are available that can reduce the amount of water consumed by the construction industry. Water hierarchy is one strategy proposed for construction sites to reduce potable water consumption and encourage alternative water sources within the site. Literature and preliminary interviews further support identification of new 3R principles: Regulations, Responsibility, and Rewards that can influence on better water management on construction sites. Therefore, purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability and implementation of 3R principles in conjunction with six stages (6R) of water hierarchy to improve efficient water use on construction projects in Sri Lanka. The study adopted triangulation convergence mixed method approach, and data collection involved case studies and a structured survey. Qualitative data is presented as narratives and quotations while quantitative data is presented as descriptive statistics. The results revealed that all factors were considered as ‘applicable’ and the possibility of implementing them on construction sites. Reuse and recycle were identified as the least applicable, and are rarely practised on sites, if it is not initially identified as a mandatory process. Experience and commitment of individual staff and costs are identified as important drivers on implication of each 9R principle. New 3R principles were recognised as supportive policies to implement all six existing stages of water hierarchy. Finally, the paper discusses the extended water hierarchy model developed for construction industry.
item: Conference-Abstract
Allocation of risks to parties involved in Sri Lankan road construction projects : a Delphi study.
(2015-04-11) Perera, BAKS; Rameezdeen, R; Chileshe, N; Hosseini, M
The findings of a broad literature review as the first stage of this study indicated that identifying risk factors on a lifecycle basis and defining the shares of the parties involved in projects in terms of dealing with risks would increase the effectiveness of risk management studies. Drawing upon the foregoing results, this study aimed at ascertaining the main risks and accordingly allocating them to the parties involved in each phase of the road construction projects in Sri Lanka deploying a three-round Delphi study. The outcomes of the Delphi revealed that the construction and the design phase are the most critical phases of a road project due to the prevalence of major risks in these phases. Besides, some critical risk factors occurring in more than one phase of the project life cycle were identified which necessitated the primacy of handling these risk factors as a prerequisite for success of road projects in Sri Lanka. The study concludes with presenting the potential sources of the identified risk factors and the stake of each party to handle the risks. The paper would contribute to the risk management literature in other countries explicitly developing countries facing the analogous challenges.
item: Article-Full-text
Antecedents of noise pollution control behaviour of employees of construction companies
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2022) Kaluarachchi, M; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Rameezdeen, R
Purpose – Construction activities generate noise that is harmful to workers and the neighbouring community. Engineering control methods are often used for its control which are expensive and limited in effectiveness. This study aims to investigate factors that affect employee behaviour and how it could be used by construction companies to manage noise pollution on sites. Design/methodology/approach – Norm Activation Model (NAM) is used to investigate the relationship between attitudes and behaviour of site-based employees using a questionnaire survey administered in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The responses were analysed using structural equation modelling to discern behavioural patterns and how it differs between managers and workers. Findings – The results showed that behaviour of site employees could be influenced when they are aware of the consequences of noise pollution and take responsibility for its control. Personal norm of an employee and company’s environmental behaviour are found to influence the behaviour in a positive manner. Practical implications – Construction companies should focus more on how to harness their employee’s behaviour in order to reduce noise pollution on sites. Employees should be made aware of consequences of noise pollution and feel responsible for their actions through training, awareness campaigns, signage and so on. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature by building a theoretical model of employee noise control behaviour in construction organizations and empirically testing it among managers and workers. It compares the differences between these two groups which enhances one’s understanding of behavioural control methods when applied in a construction project setting. The study also evaluates the effects of company’s environmental behaviour on employee behaviour.
item: Article-Full-text
Application of “R” principles to enhance the efficiency of water usage in construction sites
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2017) Waidyasekara, KGAS; De Silva, L; Rameezdeen, R
Purpose –Water conservationists have been promoting a hierarchy of measures to preserve water resources in the face of decreasing freshwater availability in the world. However, applicability of water hierarchy to the construction industry is yet to be investigated. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate water usage, water use efficiency, and conservation measures relevant to the construction operations. Design/methodology/approach – A triangulation-based mixed-methods approach was adopted for the collection and analysis of data. First, four case studies were carried out to explore the current practices and the possibilities of applying the water hierarchy to the construction operations. This was followed by a questionnaire survey, administered among construction professionals to obtain their views and to verify the findings of case studies. Findings – Strategies such as reuse and recycling were found to be less applicable and least preferred by the construction professionals compared to reduce, replace, and eliminate. Based on the research findings, three enabling measures, namely, regulation, responsibility, and reward, were found to enhance the effectiveness of these conservation strategies. Practical implications – Knowledge on preferences of different water conservation measures among the construction professionals and their effectiveness on construction site could help the construction companies to device strategies to mitigate water wastage and enhance water use efficiency. It could also help policy-makers to develop guidelines that would have higher probability of acceptance among construction stakeholders. Originality/value – The study proposes an extended water hierarchy (3R.6R) by integrating three enabling measures discussed above for the construction project sites.
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Attitudes and perceptions of construction workforce on construction waste in Sri Lanka
Kulatunga, U; Amaratunga; Haigh, R; Rameezdeen, R
Purpose – The construction industry consumes large amounts of natural resources, which are not properly utilised owing to the generation of waste. Construction waste has challenged the performance of the industry and its sustainable goals. The majority of the causes underlying material waste are directly or indirectly affected by the behaviour of the construction workforce. Waste occurs on site for a number of reasons, most of which can be prevented, particularly by changing the attitudes of the construction workforce. Therefore, the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce can influence the generation and implementation of waste management strategies. The research reported in this paper is based on a study aimed at evaluating the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce involved during the pre- and post-contract stages towards minimising waste. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire survey was carried out to understand and evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of the workforce. Four types of questionnaires were prepared for project managers/site managers, supervisors, labourers, and estimators. Findings – The findings indicate the positive perceptions and attitudes of the construction workforce towards minimising waste and conserving natural resources. However, a lack of effort in practising these positive attitudes and perceptions towards waste minimisation is identified. The paper further concludes that negative attitudes towards subordinates, attitudinal differences between different working groups, and a lack of training to reinforce the importance of waste minimisation practices have obstructed proper waste management practices in the industry. Originality/value – The paper reveals the effect of the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce towards waste management applications, which would be of benefit to construction managers in designing and implementing better waste management practices.
item: Article-Abstract
Attitudes and perceptions of construction workforce on construction waste in Sri Lanka
Kulatunga, U; Amaratunga, D; Haigh, R; Rameezdeen, R
Purpose – The construction industry consumes large amounts of natural resources, which are not properly utilised owing to the generation of waste. Construction waste has challenged the performance of the industry and its sustainable goals. The majority of the causes underlying material waste are directly or indirectly affected by the behaviour of the construction workforce. Waste occurs on site for a number of reasons, most of which can be prevented, particularly by changing the attitudes of the construction workforce. Therefore, the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce can influence the generation and implementation of waste management strategies. The research reported in this paper is based on a study aimed at evaluating the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce involved during the pre- and post-contract stages towards minimising waste. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire survey was carried out to understand and evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of the workforce. Four types of questionnaires were prepared for project managers/site managers, supervisors, labourers, and estimators. Findings – The findings indicate the positive perceptions and attitudes of the construction workforce towards minimising waste and conserving natural resources. However, a lack of effort in practising these positive attitudes and perceptions towards waste minimisation is identified. The paper further concludes that negative attitudes towards subordinates, attitudinal differences between different working groups, and a lack of training to reinforce the importance of waste minimisation practices have obstructed proper waste management practices in the industry. Originality/value – The paper reveals the effect of the attitudes and perceptions of the construction workforce towards waste management applications, which would be of benefit to construction managers in designing and implementing better waste management practices.
item: Conference-Abstract
Comparative study of green building rating systems : in terms of water efficiency and conservation
Waidyasekara, KGAS; De Silva, ML; Rameezdeen, R
The construction industry puts a great effort on achieving sustainable development. This is because in the construction industry a lot of natural resources are being consumed. Water is one of the most important natural resources for the development of all economic activities taking place to care for the environment and quality of life in the society. Therefore, availability and management of water resources is essential for a long term sustainability of any country. At present, many environmental assessment tools or green building rating systems developed and accepted by many countries. Simply, green building rating systems provide best standards and assist to fulfil green building practices. Each rating system addressed key sustainable parameters: energy, water, site, indoor environmental quality and materials in order to build sustainable environment. Since freshwater scarcity has become a global issue, this paper aims to investigate how and in what strategies water efficiency and conservation is discussed in the existing green building rating systems. Primarily, literature review and documentary review were used as the main research method. The eleven green building rating systems which are designed for new construction were considered and were analysed to compare in terms of the key requirements/strategies and credits awarded for water efficiency and conservation in the rating systems. It was found that in terms of water, intention of each rating system is to reduce potable water consumption compared to the benchmark buildings. It further address in many directions to conserve and monitor water throughout the project life cycle. However, few rating systems have only addressed water conservation and water pollution during the construction phase. Furthermore, the paper enables to analyse the priority given for the water efficiency compared to other sustainable parameters.
item: Conference-Full-text
Comparative study of green building rating systems: in terms of water efficiency and conservation
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2013-06) Waidyasekara, KGAS; De silva, ML; Rameezdeen, R; Sandanayake, YG; Fernando, NG
The construction industry puts a great effort on achieving sustainable development. This is because in the construction industry a lot of natural resources are being consumed. Water is one of the most important natural resources for the development of all economic activities taking place to care for the environment and quality of life in the society. Therefore, availability and management of water resources is essential for a long term sustainability of any country. At present, many environmental assessment tools or green building rating systems developed and accepted by many countries. Simply, green building rating systems provide best standards and assist to fulfil green building practices. Each rating system addressed key sustainable parameters: energy, water, site, indoor environmental quality and materials in order to build sustainable environment. Since freshwater scarcity has become a global issue, this paper aims to investigate how and in what strategies water efficiency and conservation is discussed in the existing green building rating systems. Primarily, literature review and documentary review were used as the main research method. The eleven green building rating systems which are designed for new construction were considered and were analysed to compare in terms of the key requirements/strategies and credits awarded for water efficiency and conservation in the rating systems. It was found that in terms of water, intention of each rating system is to reduce potable water consumption compared to the benchmark buildings. It further address in many directions to conserve and monitor water throughout the project life cycle. However, few rating systems have only addressed water conservation and water pollution during the construction phase. Furthermore, the paper enables to analyse the priority given for the water efficiency compared to other sustainable parameters.
item: Article-Full-text
Construction linkages in a developing economy: The case of Sri Lanka
(Taylor & Francis, 2008) Rameezdeen, R; Ramachandra, T
The importance of the construction industry stems from its strong linkages with other sectors of the economy. Despite the extensive research on input–output analysis and sectoral linkages of construction, a gap is found in the literature dealing with developing economies. The objective is to study the construction linkages in a developing economy using input–output tables compiled since the 1970s in Sri Lanka. Results show that the share of construction in gross national product and national income is lower in Sri Lanka than in developed countries. In Sri Lanka, the share of manufacturing in GNP declined while the share of services has increased with economic development. The backward linkage indicator ranges between 0.364 and 0.457 during the period of 1970–2000 while output multiplier ranges between 1.496 and 1.641 indicating the ‘pull effect’. The ‘push effect’ is found to be very insignificant. An aggregated sectoral analysis reveals high dependence of construction on manufacturing followed by services. The trend analysis shows an increasing dependence of construction on the services sector. The direct and total inputs from manufacturing and services have increased over time.
item: Article-Full-text
Construction procurement selection: comparative study of public sector vs. private sector
Jayasena, HAEC; Rameezdeen, R
Construction procurement selection has been a major research area in recent past. Lots of researches have considered procurement selection by considering the overall construction industry as a one unit. Almost all the previous studies have identified the factors affecting procurement selection but a client wise consideration has not been carried out (Public sector vs. Private sector). Eg: Love et al, (1996), Masterman, (1992), NEDO et al, (1985), Luu et al., (2003), Chan et al, (2001). Since public sector and private sector play equally important roles in the construction industry, factors affecting procurement selection should be separately identified for each sector. Major reason for that is, although there are lots of procurement selection parameters have been identified, the importance level of those factors to the public sector selection may differ from private sector selection. That importance level can be very vital in selecting different types of procurement. Three rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted, to extract a set of exclusive factors and their levels of influence on public sector and private sector and to identify the suitability of available construction procurement options for each sector, with participation of a panel of experts who are engaged in procurement selection in the construction industry.
item: Article-Full-text
Contract interpretation: the impact of readability
(Taylor and Francis Ltd, 2007) Rameezdeen, R; Rajapakse, C
The standard form of contract plays a significant role in a construction project as it communicates the procedures to be adopted in executing the project including the determination of the rights and obligations of contracting parties. Hence, an acceptable degree of commonality in interpretation of this document by different contracting parties is a prerequisite for the smooth functioning of a construction project. The aim of this research is to ascertain whether there is a relationship between readability of contract clauses and their interpretation. Readability is concerned with the complexity of words and sentences of text and it is commonly assessed by readability formulas. The survey undertaken for this research measured the ability of construction contract clauses having different readability values to convey a common understanding to all categories of respondents in terms of the degree to which risk was apportioned between the client and the contractor. The study reveals that there is a relationship between readability and contract interpretation. When the readability of the contract document is high, there found to be a high degree of commonality in interpretation of the document by different readers.
item: Conference-Full-text
A critical review of water studies in construction industry
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2014-06) Waidyasekara, KGAS; De Silva, ML; Rameezdeen, R; Sandanayake, YG; Fernando, NG; Karunasena, GI
Water is not only a basic need of human beings, but also a strategic economic resource. However, the distribution of water throughout the earth is diverse. At present, water is a challengeable natural resource for many countries and some studies predicted that the world will face a water dilemma in 2025-2030, if not consumed in sustainable way. Moreover, population growth, climate change, and industrialisation are critical factors that impact on the water sector and ultimately result in freshwater shortage and continued water pollution. The current practice considers water as a separate sectoral box in many economic evaluations although water is an integrated resource in many industries. Therefore, the time has come to think out of the box with the cohesiveness of sustainable development. It is a known fact that the construction industry too uses water in almost all the activities and without water no more construction is possible. However, water management during construction is given less attention by the industry stakeholders at present. This is despite an upsurge in the demand for construction activities both in building and civil engineering projects due to speedy industrialisation to cater for the population growth. This paper is based on the literature review of an on-going PhD research. The paper critically reviews the secondary data on water studies conducted in the construction industry. The views and findings on water handling during the physical construction, and strategies towards sustainable water consumption in construction industry are also discussed. In addition, the paper identifies four critical drivers that impact on sustainable practices of water use during the physical construction phase.
item: Conference-Abstract
Differentiating green buildings from conventional buildings : environmental performance perspective
Mallawarachchi, H; De Silva, ML; Rameezdeen, R
In the current situation, where people concerns about sustainability environment, building occupants seek to be comfortable and productive in their workplace. Occupants with local control over their environment generally have an improvement in their work effort and productivity. However, work productivity of occupants can be de-motivated and interrupted due to poor environmental conditions. Thus, the intervention to ensure a healthy working environment should always be the first step towards improving productivity. In the governing concern on improving occupant's working environment. Green Building movement is fast becoming a necessity. It is therefore impressive that there is already emerging national consensus on the definition of a green building and a rapidly increasing number of green projects in both the public and private sectors. Green buildings can be defined in various ways however, giving definition compared to ‘conventional ’ buildings is a supplementary problem. There is no doubt that the term has a veiy positive connotation. Further, green buildings generate lot of benefits to people and the environment. However, no evidence that the level of occupant comfort and satisfaction greater in ‘green ' rather than conventional buildings. Hence, this study was aimed to identify facts for differentiating green buildings from conventional buildings in terms of environmental performance. The available literature was reviewed and preliminary investigation was conducted in selected green rated and non-green buildings. The indoor environment quality criteria which is developed based on GREENSL® rating system was evaluated in selected buildings to identify differences between green and conventional buildings. According to the results of literature survey and preliminary investigation, green buildings showed high environmental performance compared to conventional buildings in terms of indoor air quality, thermal comfort and lighting quality whilst there was a less satisfaction with acoustic comfort in green buildings. However, the success of green buildings depends on the quality and efficiency of the installed green systems. The rating system can be used as the common language and standards of measurement to define green buildings, differentiating from conventional buildings.
item: Conference-Full-text
Differentiating green buildings from conventional buildings: environmental performance perspective
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2014-06) Mallawarachchi, H; De Silva, L; Rameezdeen, R; Sandanayake, YG; Karunasena, GI; Fernando, NG
In the current situation, where people concerns about sustainability environment, building occupants seek to be comfortable and productive in their workplace. Occupants with local control over their environment generally have an improvement in their work effort and productivity. However, work productivity of occupants can be de-motivated and interrupted due to poor environmental conditions. Thus, the intervention to ensure a healthy working environment should always be the first step towards improving productivity. In the governing concern on improving occupant’s working environment, Green Building movement is fast becoming a necessity. It is therefore impressive that there is already emerging national consensus on the definition of a green building and a rapidly increasing number of green projects in both the public and private sectors. Green buildings can be defined in various ways however, giving definition compared to ‘conventional’ buildings is a supplementary problem. There is no doubt that the term has a very positive connotation. Further, green buildings generate lot of benefits to people and the environment. However, no evidence that the level of occupant comfort and satisfaction are greater in ‘green’ rather than conventional buildings. Hence, this study was aimed to identify facts for differentiating green buildings from conventional buildings in terms of environmental performance. The available literature was reviewed and preliminary investigation was conducted in selected green rated and non-green buildings. The indoor environment quality criteria which is developed based on GREENSL® rating system was evaluated in selected buildings to identify differences between green and conventional buildings. According to the results of literature survey and preliminary investigation, green buildings showed high environmental performance compared to conventional buildings in terms of indoor air quality, thermal comfort and lighting quality whilst there was a less satisfaction with acoustic comfort in green buildings. However, the success of green buildings depends on the quality and efficiency of the installed green systems. The rating system can be used as the common language and standards of measurement to define green buildings, differentiating from conventional buildings.
item: Article-Abstract
Direction of the causal relationship between construction and the national economy of Sri Lanka
Ramachandra, T; Rotimi, JOB; Rameezdeen, R
Causal relationships between construction and national economies have received considerable attention in the past. However, the results of research on this topic provide contrasting views about the nature of the relationship. This paper investigates the direction of the causal relationship between construction and the economy of a developing country, Sri Lanka, using empirical data for selected economic and construction indicators for the period 1990 to 2009. The pattern of the causal relationship was determined using the Granger causality test. The findings reveal that national economic activities precede construction activities for all indicators except construction investment. The study therefore concludes and strengthens the body of knowledge concerning the causal relationship between the construction sector in Sri Lanka and the national economy tending towards a uni-directional relationship, with the national economy inducing growth in the construction sector and not vice versa.
item: Article-Full-text
The effect of textual complecity of contract clauses on contractual disputes
Rodrigo, VAK; Rameezdeen, R
The heart of every’ construction project is a contract, which plays a dominant role in preventing and resolving disputes by providing comprehensive coverage of all the items of work, duties and responsibilities of the contracting parties, and conflict resolution mechanisms related to all contingencies. By developing an acceptable level of communication among parties through standard and particular contract clauses, a smooth functioning of a construction project without contractual disputes can be achieved. Textual complexity’ can be described as the difficulty of a text to read and understand it by the users. Readability is text-centred; while understandability measures text-reader interaction and is a broader concept. Readability thus measures the textual difficulty’ of a passage; while understandability measures the ability of a reader to gain knowledge from a text, and is contingent not only on syntactical difficulty, but also on reader characteristics such as the reader's background, prior knowledge, interest, and general reading ability. The readability together with understandability’ will offer a better measurement on the level of textual complexity. The author identifies that the textual complexity of contract clauses in terms of readability and understandability has a relationship with the frequency of referring to them in contractual disputes. When the readability and understandability of contract clauses are low, the frequency oj those clauses being referred to in contractual disputes increases. Further, the study revealed that even though the particular conditions are prepared with the intention of making the contract clauses easier, the readability of them become more low and complex at its alteration.
item: SRC-Report
Enhancing maintainability of multi-story buildings in Sri Lanka
Rameezdeen, R; De Silva, N; Samarajeewa, A
The research into the issue of maintainability of multi-story buildings in Sri Lanka is still in its adolescent stage. This report summarizes the main deliverables of a research project dealing with maintainability of multi-story buildings using two elements; fa9ade and flat roof, under tropical conditions. Improving the knowledge of maintainability and setting maintainability benchmarks are two key principles of the research framework. In identifying maintainability problems, 26 and 16 numbers of different defects were identified related to facade and flat roof defects respectively. Their causes were identified as faulty designs, inferior construction and ad-hoc maintenance practices. They were taken as maintainability risk factors for both maintainability scoring systems. The existing maintainability scoring system developed by National University of Singapore (NUS-MSS) was tested for its adoptability for multi-story buildings in Sri Lanka due to similarity between environment and buildings profiles in two countries. Statistical /-test was used for the comparison. This model was developed using 13 risk factors related to fa5ade maintainability. These factors are common for maintainability of facades of multi-story buildings here. Further, statistical test results showed that NUS-MSS can be successfully adopted to predict the level of maintainability of fa9ades of multi-story buildings in Sri Lanka A prototype maintainability scoring system for flat roof using the framework of NUS-MSS; on the basis of life cycle costing approach, involving minimum cleaning, repair, replacement and down time, is established using the back propagation neural networks. This system compromised of 12 input risk factors related to flat roof maintainability including building profile, design parameters, choice of materials, quality of construction, maintenance practices, and environment. Low errors of “network” and “generalization” of the network indicated its capability of forecasting the maintainability levels for new designs. Therefore, as a predictive tool, this system would enable owners, designers, facility managers, contractors and any other party with an interest in achieving the most favourable maintainability right from the design/planning stage.
item: Article-Abstract
Enhancing the effectiveness of risk management practices in Sri Lankan road construction projects : a delphi approach
Perera, BAKS; Rameezdeen, R; Chileshe, N; Hosseini, MR
The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) Identifying the risks that are critical for risk management of road construction projects in Sri Lanka on a life cycle basis and (2) defining the shares of the parties involved in projects in terms of handling the identified risks. A Delphi study was conducted among 33 Sri Lankan experts (consultants, project managers, contractors) in three rounds. The findings showed that the construction and design phases are prone to many major risks.
item: Conference-Full-text
From grave-to-cradle: quality assurance system for the demolition waste management
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Wijewickrama, MKCS; Chileshe, N; Rameezdeen, R; Ochoa, JJ
The recent decade has witnessed significant demolition waste (DW) due to rapid urbanisation in many economies. Transforming from the traditional linear supply chains into a circular arrangement while thinking from ‘grave-to-cradle’ is a value-adding approach to managing DW effectively. Consequently, the concept of ‘reverse logistics supply chains (RLSC)’ has captured the attention of the construction industry. However, the poor quality of re-processed products has hindered the successful adoption of RLSC in the construction industry. Therefore, this study examines aspects of the quality assurance system needed for RLSC to manage DW effectively and efficiently. The study used a qualitative approach, including 20 semi-structured interviews with internal stakeholders of the RLSC of DW. The study empirically confirmed that the RLSC of DW should embrace an integrated system for QA, including four aspects: process, people, policy, and technology. Under process for QA, standard practices are to be undertaken separately during building dismantling and off-site waste processing stages. While people in RLSC are skilful, competent, licensed, supervised and monitored, internal and external organisational policies should also be available for QA. Besides, espousing traditional practices with innovative technologies is also imperative for QA in RLSC of DW. The study makes a significant contribution by empirically proving that an integrated system of process, people, policy and technology is needed for QA in RLSC of DW. The developed quality assurance system provides useful insights for industry practitioners about the aspects that they should embrace in enforcing QA throughout the transformation from ‘grave-to-cradle’ in the construction industry.
item: Conference-Abstract
Green building concept to facilitating high quality indoor environment for building occupants in Sri Lanka
Mallawaarachchi, BH; De Silva, ML; Rameezdeen, R; Chandrathilaka, SR
Well-being is an important aspect determining the quality of life of an occupant. Hence, it is essential to have a good indoor environmental quality, as it affects the productivity and health of such occupants. Further, indoor air quality, acoustic, day-lighting and thermal comfort contribute to better indoor environment quality, and have a positive effect on an occupant's productivity and performance. Accordingly, many studies believed that the green building design will become more common practice once the human benefits are identified, primarily the productivity gains believed to be associated with the provision of high quality indoor environments. Hence, buildings are increasingly designed or required to be ‘green’ in recent years, giving the quality of the indoor environment new importance. Therefore, several green building assessment tools have been applied worldwide namely, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) and Green Star etc in facilitating high quality indoor environment. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) has considered as a major criteria in such tools. Thus, various IEQ factors relate to temperature and humidity, acoustic, ventilation, indoor air quality, day lighting and lighting quality, thermal comfort and access to views have been considered in these techniques. Similarly in Sri Lanka, GREENSL® Rating System is applied for buildings in local context so as to obtain green certification. Even though, it emerges IEQ as an important aspect, it is considerably less compared to other domains. Thus, four green assessment tools were suggested which can be applied for buildings in Sri Lankan context through the review of key research papers. Accordingly, such green building tools can be considered for Sri Lankan buildings as a new concept/tool or even the existing system can be further enhanced so as to provide a better quality indoor environment for building occupants.