Browsing by Author "Sridarran, P"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 33

item: Conference-Full-text
Adaptable built-environment as a potential strategy to sustain post-disaster resettlements in Sri Lanka
(2017) Sridarran, P; Keraminiyage, K; Amaratunga, D
In the recent decades, internal displacements occur in greater number across the world each year without drawing much attention. To minimise the causes and attenuate the consequences of displacement, governments and other concerned entities involve themselves in the process of resettlement to different degrees. However, the large-scale resettlements are often criticised for offering only temporary relief without meeting the long-term expectations of the affected communities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potentials of an adaptable built-environment to provide durable solutions to sustain post-disaster resettlements. Based on previous case studies 14 long-term struggles in adapting to a new built-environment are identified. A Likert scale questionnaire survey was conducted in 4 resettlement schemes in Sri Lanka, to scale the level of severity of the identified factors. Collected questionnaires were analysed using factor analysis technique to identify the underlying concepts of the adaptability issues. The findings of this study show that the underlying structure of the identified factors that affect the adaptability of the built-environment of the displaced community includes less availability of social infrastructure, the unfamiliarity of the houses, difference in the location, non-flexibility of the houses, comfort of the houses, and less availability of utilities. Similarly, the underlying structure of the host community includes less availability of social infrastructure, different usage of the land, community relationship, and less availability of the utilities.
item:
Applicability of drive-thru banking facility for the new normal setup: a case of covid-19 pandamic in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Fernando, WDN; Sridarran, P; Yatawatta, YJM
Banks play an important role in economic growth and social welfare enhancement. However, the COVID-19 epidemic had an unanticipated significant impact on enterprises and organisations. Nonetheless, due to the crucial nature of their services, banks should continue to operate. As a result, to increase efficiency and profitability, the banking industry has embraced cutting-edge technology and access techniques. One of the most popular methods in the worldwide banking sector is drive-thru banking. However, in Sri Lanka, no particular emphasis has been paid to this type of facility, and there has been no adequate study on this topic addressing the applicability of drive-thru banking facility. A detailed literature analysis was conducted to review the concept and important components of drive-thru banking, as well as elements of the banking business globally and regarding to the Sri Lanka. Case studies and a survey were used to continue the study using the qualitative research approach. The study examined how each of the implementation factors, such as enablers, barriers, benefits, limitations, requirements, and customer perspectives on this facility, affected the applicability. Accordingly, certain factors such as high initial costs, supplier and maintenance constraints, carparking limitations, queue control, and accessibility need to be addressed. The study concludes that by considering these implementation variables, drive-thru banking can yield positive outcomes for both customers and bankers. The study recommends that banks in Sri Lanka explore the potential of drive-thru banking facilities and adopt them as a means of improving their services and meeting customer needs in a changing landscape.
item: Conference-Abstract
Applicability of leed requirements to achieve water efficiency in Sri Lankan hotel industry
(2021-07) Damsari, AGU; Sridarran, P; Abdeen, FN
LEED is an universally used green ranking system in the world. Among the six evaluation factors it specifically focuses on water use reduction, water efficient landscaping and innovative wastewater technologies. LEED provides a structure or collection of metrics to determine the water efficiency level that a building can achieve. Most of the hotels worldwide are inclined towards gaining LEED certification which is prompted by the higher volumes of water consumption in the facility. LEED is a US created rating system and the most categories of LEED certification are built according to the US aspects. Being an Asian country, Sri Lankan hoteliers also attempt to obtain LEED certification to their hotels with the motive of becoming in order to be more efficient. However, some of LEED requirements under the water efficiency category does not match the Sri Lankan hotel industry requirements. Therefore, the aim of the study to identify whether the LEED requirements under the water efficiency can be applied to Sri Lankan hotel industry. To accomplish the aim, literature synthesis was conducted to explore the water efficiency practices used by LEED certified hotels in other countries. A qualitative research methodology was subsequently adopted, directing semi-structured interviews with two LEED certified hotels in Sri Lanka to identify the LEED practices used in Sri Lankan hotel industry. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the collected data. Finally, a framework was developed to compare and contrast the water efficiency practices used in LEED certified hotels in other countries and Sri Lanka.
item: Conference-Full-text
Benefits of leed certification in terms of water efficiency in hotel industry: a literature review
(2020-11-06) Damsari, AGU; Sridarran, P; Abdeen, FN
Water is the world's most precious resource, vital for humanity and the remainder of the world. Due to the incredible water consumption in the hotel industry, hoteliers are required to pay more concern on water saving. The water consumption of the hotel is directly influenced by existing water efficiency practices. Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) provides a structure or collections of metrics to determine the level of water efficiency achievable by a building. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify how LEED certification guide hoteliers to achieve water efficiency. The literature synthesis highlights the water efficiency practices, which should be followed by the hoteliers in order to obtain LEED certification. Accordingly, it guides hoteliers to achieve water efficiency under four categories such as outdoor water usage reduction, indoor water usage reduction, cooling tower water usage reduction and water metring. Further, the study identifies the performance gaps between LEED certified hotels and non-LEED certified hotels by highlighting the water efficiency practices adapted by worldwide LEED certified hotels. Moreover, the study revealed that LEED is the most adaptable system used in Sri Lanka among other green rating systems due to its glob-al recognition. The findings of this study could be used by hoteliers as a basis in understanding the available water efficiency practices and measures for the hotels that could be utilised in achieving water efficiency.
item: Article-Full-text
Change management framework to enable sustainable outsourcing of facilities management services
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016) Sridarran, P; Fernando, NG
Purpose – In this present globalised era, outsourcing has become a very popular and much sought after procurement strategy for facilities management (FM). Generally, a sustainable procurement system should be capable enough to deliver the services free of disruptions. However, outsourcing can bring about changes in working patterns, organisational culture and management styles which can possibly disrupt the activities of an organisation. In order to avoid such disruptions, organisations need to adopt a measured approach towards this change. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of change management to enable sustainable outsourcing of FM services. Design/methodology/approach – Within commercial building context, the questions of “why change is not managed during outsourcing of FM services” and “how can it be managed” are investigated through case studies. Findings – Organisations encountered various disagreements due to inadequate management of change during outsourcing. If the changes emanating from outsourcing are not managed satisfactorily, it would result in possible disruptions. However, to make changes happen successfully is one of the most challenging tasks faced by the leadership and corporate management of the organisations. Originality/value – In order to facilitate the practitioners in the industry, this paper finally offers a framework for change management during outsourcing based on the findings.
item: Conference-Full-text
Compare VR vs. conventional training for construction workers' safety awareness
(Department of Building Economics, 2024) Hewagarusinghe, SH; Sridarran, P; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Ranadewa, KATO; Chandanie, H
In recent years, Sri Lanka’s construction industry has seen a troubling increase in both fatal and non-fatal accidents, largely attributed to insufficient safety knowledge among workers and deficiencies in the health and safety system. To mitigate these accidents, effective occupational health and safety training is imperative. However, the efficacy of traditional safety training methods has been questioned due to their limited impact on workers’ ability to identify and assess risks critically. The lack of experiential training is the primary cause of accidents that could have been easily avoided at construction sites in Sri Lanka. Addressing this gap, there is growing interest in utilising Virtual Reality (VR) as a powerful tool for experiential safety training in the construction sector. VR offer a realistic and safe environment where workers can engage with various scenarios and procedures, enhancing their understanding and awareness of safety protocols. This research explores the effectiveness of VR tools in enhancing safety knowledge and awareness among construction workers through a simulation safety training platform, using VR and PowerPoint methods for data collection. An experiment was conducted with VR and PowerPoint safety training methods as a data collection method. A questionnaire survey was conducted to compare conventional training methods with the VR solution. The results indicate that workers trained in VR environments had better retention of critical information, highlighting the efficiency of VR in providing a safe yet realistic training experience. This research emphasises the potential advantages of the suggested VR safety training methods in improving construction safety knowledge and awareness of construction workers.
item: Conference-Full-text
Electricity generation through municipal solid waste in Sri Lanka: Drivers and barriers
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2022-06-24) Karunarathna, TADCD; Sridarran, P; Gowsiga, M; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Gunatilake, S
The rapid increase in population and urbanisation has led to an increase in per capita consumption and the generation of waste. Thus, the need of having improved management strategies for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has aroused. Waste to Energy (WtE) was a concept that came up as a solution for waste management and as an ideal solution for energy crises as well. WtE is a process of generating energy mainly in terms of electricity and heat by giving MSW as the input where it will become the fuel for this process. Most countries like Denmark, England, Australia, etc. use this as a successful Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) strategy and as a sustainable energy producing mechanism too. But, in Sri Lankan WtE has become unsuccessful in many instances due to the influence of barriers to implementing WtE mega-scale projects. Thus, this study aims to explore existing barriers in light of expanding WtE projects in Sri Lanka. In addition, it proposes strategies to mitigate those barriers. Data was collected through expert interviews and manual content analysis was used for data analysis. Some identified key barriers and strategies in the frame of political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental are lack of having government infrastructure, high initial investments, social burdens, lack of technical knowledge on WtE, disposal of bottom and fly ash as barriers and providing infrastructure by the government, introducing debt financing, social awareness, getting foreign technical experts, using bottom ash and fly ash to produce some necessary bi-products as strategies.
item: Conference-Abstract
Enhancing the integration of smart features in commercial buildings to conserve energy : a framework
(2021-07) Dilogini, RAA; Sridarran, P; Mahedrarajah, G
The commercial building sector is classified as a highly energy-intensive category in Sri Lanka. Building practitioners adopt energy-saving mechanisms to minimise energy consumption. However, the integration of smart features plays a vital role in conserving energy in commercial buildings. However, Sri Lanka lags behind in the adoption of smart features when compared to other countries. To address this problem, this study aimed to develop a framework for the better integration of smart features to minimise the energy consumption of Sri Lankan commercial buildings. This research is carried out initially by literature review, and then research has been followed by case study. Data collected is analysed through manual content analysis and computer software with the aid of NVivo 12 software. Findings revealed that smart features are the new technologies evolved in commercial buildings to conserve energy. However, building practitioners faced several issues in integrating these features within the existing buildings. Limited knowledge of management, building owners and operators, high initial cost, and lack of workforce skill were identified as main barriers to integrating smart features in Sri Lankan commercial buildings. Moreover, this research identified the possible mechanisms for the better integration of smart features in commercial buildings. For better integration, it is required to plan it at the initial design stage of buildings, select reliable contractors, and raise awareness of management and client about smart features. Finally, a framework was developed for the better integration of smart features to minimise the energy consumption of Sri Lankan commercial buildings.
item: Conference-Full-text
Exploring the facilities management education needs in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Sridarran, P; Jayakodi, S; Peiris, S; De Silva, N; Lai, JHK; Rathnayake, U; Dissanayake, P
Facilities Management (FM) is a multidisciplinary profession at the core of building operations management. As such, it requires a wide range of skills that differ significantly from region to region due to variable industry sizes, maturity levels, characteristics of building stocks and services, and occupant cultures. Consequently, it is essential to cultivate the necessary knowledge and skills to produce competent FM professionals to cater to the demand of the FM industry. Worldwide, various professional bodies have specified essential competencies for the FM profession. This study aims to reveal the current state of such competencies in the FM industry in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, a scrupulous literature review was conducted to identify the FM competencies. Twelve competency attributes germane to the Sri Lankan context were identified, and subsequently, a web-based questionnaire survey was conducted to analyse their importance and competence levels. The mean ratings were calculated using the received responses and were used to develop an Importance-Competence Analysis (ICA) matrix. The results indicated that ‘operations and maintenance’, ‘leadership’ and ‘technology’ are the prioritised competencies that need improvements through appropriate education and training.
item: Conference-Full-text
Facilities manager’s involvement for establishing desalination plants
(Faculty of Architecture Research Unit, 2023-12) Yatawatta, YJM; Sridarran, P
This abstract presents findings from a mixed-methods study examining the integral role of Facilities Managers (FMs) in the establishment of desalination plants. Qualitative data was gathered from experts directly involved in establishing desalination plants. while quantitative data were gathered from FMs overseeing water treatment facilities. Non-probability sampling was used, with thirty-six questionnaires distributed. Through the literature, identified eight stages in desalination plant development: planning, design, tendering, construction, operation and maintenance, testing and commissioning, handover, and demolition. To assess the significance of FM roles, the Relative Importance Index (RII) was applied. Key findings related to the FM role are, risk assessment being crucial in the planning stage, contract document preparation in the design phase, and evaluating tender submissions during tendering. Resource allocation took precedence in construction, while maintenance schedule preparation was paramount during operation and maintenance. In the testing and commissioning phase, ensuring proper design, installation, testing, operation, and maintenance was critical. During handover, overseeing project documents was vital, and contributing to demolition decisions was crucial in the demolition stage. These results underscore the essential role of FMs throughout desalination plant projects. They offer insights for organizations and industry professionals, facilitating a better understanding of FM responsibilities at each stage and improving overall project management.
item: Article-Full-text
Feasibility of Establishing Desalination Plants at the Dry Zones of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, 2022-12) Yatawatta, J; Sridarran, P; Thirumal, S
Water scarcity has already been recognised as a major 21st century global environmental problem [1]. Water scarcity arises when the demand for fresh water in a given domain exceeds the supply. Several nations are quickly depleting their freshwater supplies, and many large river basins in both developing and developed nations are experiencing severe water scarcity. According to Sri Lanka, the country is divided into two principal divisions based on annual precipitation of 1,875 mm: Dry Zones (DZ), which account for around 70% of the country, and wet zones, which account for the remaining 30% [2]. Sri Lanka’s DZ districts such as Ampara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Kurunega¬la, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Kurunegala, Mullaitivu, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Mannar and Vavuniya are experiencing extreme seasonal or year-round water scarcity [3]. Water shortage is a common concern for residents of DZs during the dry season as a result of inadequate tank storage capabilities, maintenance and operation issues, and DZ population growth [4].
item: Conference-Full-text
A framework to enhance productivity through human attitudes
Koshitha, D; Sridarran, P
Government expenditure is rising yearly. Maintenance expenses of government building and their services also contributes to this expense. So, productive maintenance within the government sector is increasingly required in order to optimise the costs on maintenance and its output. Management of good attitudes within the human resource of public sector’s maintenance departments is an essential factor to enhancing productivity of building maintenance. Thus, it is necessary to develop and manage good attitudes to achieve productive maintenance. Hence, the aim of the research is proposing a suitable framework for attitude management and development in public sector organizations in Sri Lanka. The importance of the attitudes and the reasons for difficulty in developing attitudes is discussed in the paper. The attitude of an employee has been identified under four basic categories and a qualitative research approach was adopted to accomplish the research objectives through semi-structured interviews involving 15 respondents under 3 cases. Cross-case analysis was used to analyse findings and finally a framework was developed to manage good attitudes of staff. Productive maintenance refers to maximum and optimum output from minimum resources and productive human resource plays the most important role. It is made up of three key competencies; good skills, good knowledge and good attitudes. Good attitudes are important in maintaining other two competencies. Finally, a framework for attitude management and development have been developed based on reliable suggestions for proper attitude management within maintenance departments of public sector organisations and several recommendations were suggested to overcome current barriers in the industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
A Framework to enhance the practice of maintenance budgeting in commercial buildings in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Architecture Research Unit (FARU), 2021-12-03) Rukanya, S; Sridarran, P; Mahedrarajh, G
Inadequate budget control is one of the major challenges that adversely affect the maintenance of a building. The cost of plant asset maintenance of the commercial building is a larger proportion of the overall cost of operation. It is important to allocate financial resources appropriately so that, before serious damage occurs, maintenance measures can be taken. Accordingly, a well-defined maintenance budget (MB) makes it possible to recognise opportunities for creating continuous business performance improvements within the financial constraints of a company. Although required building maintenance can be carried out successfully with an adequate budget, the budget is not well defined in current industrial practice and Sri Lanka is most likely dealing with the same problem. Thus, this study aimed to develop a framework to enhance the practice of a well-defined MB for commercial buildings in Sri Lanka. The qualitative approach was adopted to address this study. A comprehensive literature review was done and five case studies were performed using ten semi-structured interviews to collect the primary data. The interviewees were selected based on their knowledge in the field of maintenance cost planning. Data were analysed through content analysis using both manual and NVivo 12 software. The research finding revealed that prime barriers of prepare an accurate MB are poor planning of maintenance work and resources, faulty maintenance, changes in country market condition, and poor financial support. The key strategies to overcome the barriers are to select the right budget method, arise awareness of top management about building maintenance and avoid faulty maintenance.
item: Thesis-Abstract
A Framework to manage the quality of design and contractual documents in the construction sector in Sri Lanka
(2023) Herath, HG; Sridarran, P
The quality of the design and quality of contractual documents that are used for construction project implementation phase has a significant influence on the project's performance and efficiency. The decrease of design quality standard has been significant factor in the construction performance decline. This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of various elements that affect to quality of design and quality of contractual documents in the Sri Lankan construction sector. The research aims to help stakeholders plan for a project's start by creating awareness about the various elements that can affect to quality of design and quality of contractual documents. It also aims to help minimize the chances that a project will encounter design deficiencies. Accordingly, forty-five various factors influencing quality of design and contractual documents were identified from the literature review and were evaluated by 33 respondents. The questionnaire results showed that projects in Sri Lankan construction sector face cost overruns and delays due to design and contractual documents deficiencies, due to reasons such as the inexperienced design team and insufficient cooperate between the client and consultant. The causes for the most severe factors influencing quality of design and quality of contractual documents were recognized through questionnaire survey and the measures to be taken to minimize those factors were investigated through semi–structured interviews with three top level professionals. Afterword, the gathered data was evaluated using content analysis. Finally, a set of guidelines and measures through the framework were developed to enhance the quality of design and quality of contractual documents in the Sri Lankan construction sector.
item: Conference-Full-text
Influence of change management for effective outsourcing of facilities management services
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2013-06) Sridarran, P; Fernando, NG; Sandanayake, YG; Fernando, NG
The procurement by partial or full outsourcing of Facilities Management services is one of the options available for operation and maintenance of buildings. Since the recent past, this has been observed as a popular trend in this sector. Outsourcing can bring about many changes and conflicts into the organisation. This is due to many reasons such as services being performed in different ways, some services changing in quality and rhythm, the employees being asked to do things differently and the organisational culture also having to adopt the changes. Organisations need to adopt an intelligent approach to manage such changes if they are to maintain the continuity of the operations. As such, the aim of this study is to identify the influence of change management towards the effective outsourcing of Facilities Management services. Multiple case study method was adopted as the research methodology for this purpose. Data were analysed against the three predetermined categories which were; reasons for the outsourcing, the impact of change during outsourcing practices, and incorporating the change management with the outsourcing practices, in order to reach a compromise. Findings of the study reveal that the efficiency of outsourcing the Facilities Management services can be improved and the organisations can reap the maximum benefit out of such outsourcing if the change management is handled in an effective manner.
item: Conference-Abstract
Influence of change management for effective outsourcing of facilities management services
(2015-04-08) Sridarran, P; Fernando, NG
The procurement by partial or full outsourcing of Facilities Management services is one of the options available for operation and maintenance of buildings. Since the recent past, this has been observed as a popular trend in this sector. Outsourcing can bring about many changes and conflicts into the organisation. This is due to many reasons such as services being performed in different ways, some services changing in quality and rhythm, the employees being asked to do things differently and the organisational culture also having to adopt the changes. Organisations need to adopt an intelligent approach to manage such changes if they are to maintain the continuity of the operations. As such, the aim of this study is to identify the influence of change management towards the effective outsourcing of Facilities Management services. Multiple case study method was adopted as the research methodology for this purpose. Data were analysed against the three predetermined categories which were; reasons for the outsourcing, the impact of change during outsourcing practices, and incorporating the change management with the outsourcing practices, in order to reach a compromise. Findings of the study reveal that the efficiency of outsourcing the Facilities Management services can be improved and the organisations can reap. the maximum benefit out of such outsourcing if the change management is handled in an effective manner.
item: Thesis-Abstract
Management of factors affecting the quality of building projects in Sri Lanka
(2023) Amunugama, AAWRRJMB; Sridarran, P
The quality aspect in building construction has become a very much important role in building construction. This study was conducted to analyze the factors affecting the quality of building projects in Sri Lanka and to suggest best practices to be followed to enhance the level of satisfaction with the factors related to the quality of buildings. A thorough literature survey was conducted to determine how previous studies were focused on the relevant topic by various researchers. 35 factors were found from the literature survey that was identified as relevant in achieving the quality of building projects in Sri Lanka. A structured questionnaire was distributed among the industry professionals and information was gathered on the level of importance and the level of satisfaction of the present practices concerning the identified factors relevant to the quality of building construction projects. Descriptive statistical tests were conducted to analyze the information obtained by the survey. Weighted mean analysis followed by the mean value analysis was conducted to eliminate unimportant data. Then the set of factors was narrowed down to 33 for both importance and satisfaction criteria. Cronbach’s alpha test was carried out to validate and test the reliability of the data. Quadrant analysis was conducted to identify the most important factors that need urgent improvements. 15 factors were identified with a high level of importance, having a low level of satisfaction. Factor analysis as an inferential statistical test was conducted to narrow down the identified factors to the most relevant dimensions. Accordingly, the skills, knowledge and experience of the project team were identified as one dimension which represents the human dimension. Factors such as continuous improvement of the project team, training/ awareness of the project team, sharing knowledge among the project team, teamwork among the project team, proper communication among the project team and Labor skills and experience of workers govern the first dimension. The second dimension was the cost and quality management system of the project, which reflects the system dimension That governs the factors such as the cash flow of the project, variations/ accuracy of estimating, implementation of QA/QC systems (such as ISO Certification, TQM, QMS) QA/ QC systems for the contractor organizations, project constraints (low budget, limited time & inflexibility), scarcity of resources and project planning/ quality planning. Experts were interviewed to obtain best practices to be followed To enhance the level of satisfaction of the quality aspects related to the respective factors in the building construction projects. Ten experts having a minimum of 10 years of industry experience were interviewed. 45 best practices relevant to the factors under the dimension of “skills, knowledge and experience of the project team” and 30 best practices relevant to the factors under the dimension of “cost and quality management system of the project” were identified. Identified factors need to be attained with high priority given achieving quality objectives of the building construction projects. Proposed best practices can be adopted by the design and construction professionals and the respective entities to enhance the quality aspects of building projects in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Quality, Building Construction, Factors, Improvement
item: Conference-Full-text
The Need for a climate database for facilities managers to mitigate the climate change implications on buildings
(Department of Building Economics, 2024) Maddakandage, MNU; Sridarran, P; Sandanayake, YG; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Ranadewa, KATO; Chandanie, H
This study focuses on climate change impacts on built-environment categories, including buildings, built infrastructure, and land use. A facility manager is a key person who oversees the built-environment and faces challenges in recognising climate impacts and preparing mitigation strategies to ensure the organisation’s operations continue. Climate change directly and significantly affects facilities management. Thus, in climate change mitigation data-driven decision-making in facility management is important. Climate data, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, solar gain, and CO2 level are already used in the decision-making in facilities management. However, there is less availability and complex accessibility of the existing climate data sources for non-climate expert users such as facility managers. In order to address this gap this paper aims to assess the need for a climate database for facilities managers to mitigate climate change implications on buildings. This study adopts a qualitative expert survey approach to data collection. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with industrial experts and their knowledge and experience on climate change were analysed. Facility managers and built-environment experts expressed that there are many available climate data sources that facility managers are not aware of. However, it is difficult to use available climate data for decision-making due to limited knowledge of climate science and the payments and permissions involved. Further, experts highlighted the need for a climate database with freely available recent years’ climate data, visualisation tools for using climate data to make informed decisions and a user-friendly interface for non-expert users.
item: Conference-Full-text
Need of establishing desalination plants to mitigate water scarcity in dry zones of Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Yatawatta, YJM; Sridarran, P
This research study aims to explore the necessity of implementing desalination plants as a solution to address water scarcity in the dry zones of Sri Lanka. Water sustainability is crucial for ensuring the availability and preservation of water resources to meet the needs of current and future generations. Various innovative methods, including rainwater harvesting, irrigation efficiency, sewage water treatment, and desalination, have been employed to minimise water scarcity. Desalination, in particular, plays a vital role in meeting the growing water demands by removing salt and harmful elements from drinking water, making it safe for consumption. The primary objective of this research is to identify the specific need for desalination plants in the dry zones of Sri Lanka, while also examining the underlying reasons for water scarcity in the region. The methodology employed in this study involves template analysis, utilising data collected through expert surveys. Six experts were selected for semi-structured interviews, ensuring saturation in information gathering. The findings of this research reveal nine crucial factors that necessitate the implementation of desalination plants in the dry zones of Sri Lanka. These factors include irrigation inefficiency, groundwater depletion, the prevalence of waterborne diseases, insufficient rainwater harvesting systems, limitations in current water distribution methods, the impact of climate change, population growth, and challenges faced by industries operating in the region. The findings underscore the importance of implementing appropriate strategies to mitigate water scarcity and ensure a reliable and secure water supply for the region's present and future needs.
item: Conference-Abstract
Operational gap analysis of fire safety applications in Sri Lankan high-rise buildings
Gunarathna, P; Fernando, NG; Sridarran, P
Life style confined with working and living in high-risers is a new concept to the Sri Lankan context. Scarcity of lands and urban development with the economic growth has accelerated the growth and popularity of tall and complex buildings in Sri Lanka. As such, in the conceivable future too, the progress of construction industry is likely to be dominated by high rise buildings. Fire safety is the most critical component within any type of building. High-rise buildings involve high-risk in fire emergencies due to the combination of three risk factors, which are high population density’ and various levels of mobility, design configuration of high-rise buildings, and excessive amounts of fuel load The consequences of high-rise fires include the fatal and serious injuries to occupants, damage or loss of property and severe interruption to normal business activities. Hence, it is clear that significance attention on the fire safety is necessaiy to continue the operations of a building. Accordingly, this study aims to analyse the operational gaps in the fire safety applications in Sri Lankan high-rise buildings. Case study method was selected as the most suitable research method for this study’ as it can be applied to explain presumed casual links in real life interventions. Furthermore, the primary source of data was collected through semi-structured interviews among professionals who involved with the fire safety management in Sri Lankan high-rise buildings. Data were analysed adopting content analysis. The research findings revealed that, in Sri Lankan context organisations were endeavouring within the bounds ofpossibility to fulfil the minimum requirements. Nevertheless, there is no considerable attention has given to achieve the acceptable standard for fire safety. Those differences were identified as operational fire safety gaps in high-rise buildings. Key reasons for the malpractices are inefficient fire safety systems, lack of knowledge and commitment of the management, design failures and lack of government's commitment. Therefore, organisations need to adopt a measured approach to minimise the gap and to achieve the acceptable standard.