WCS - 2017

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://192.248.9.226/handle/123/16967

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 54

item: Conference-Full-text
A situational paradigm on flooding and built environment interventions in the UK
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Wigglesworth, T; Adeniyi, O; Ginige, K; Pearson, J; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Flooding in the United Kingdom (UK) is increasing in both frequency and severity, leading to huge social and economic cost consequences, despite which there seems to be limited data or research on built environment related interventions such as effectiveness of flood defence schemes across the UK. As the UK remains at the pinnacle of urban development, this study seeks to underline the inherent relationship between flooding occurrences and the construction industry related interventions. The study examined the effectiveness of flood defences in the UK, regarding their economic suitability, their physical effectiveness and how they are managed and funded by the UK Government. Case study research strategy was employed and interview was used as the data collection method in the case study. This study revealed that the underlying cause of increased flooding in the UK is due to several factors including; climate change and urbanisation. In terms of the physical defences built to protect the built environment, the study has shed light on the level of protection they offer, their cost effectiveness and how such schemes are financed. This study targeted the creation of a situational paradigm that could be transposed and generalised to enhance the understanding of flooding intervention in the UK and other urban environments.
item: Conference-Full-text
A study on the application of economies of scale in the construction industry: the Sri Lankan perspective
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Ramachandra, T; Geekiyanage, D; Perera, SL; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
The application of economic concepts acts as a catalyst to enhance the productivity and quality in the industries such as automotive, transportation and tourism. Economies of Scale (EOS) is such a concept, which could be applied to address the above concern. This research therefore explored the application of EOS to the construction industry. The study adopted a qualitative approach by conducting structured interviews among 14 participants representing consultants and contractors in the construction industry. Subsequently, a content analysis was performed to analyse the data collected, with the aid of NVivo 11. Considering the views of experts, the application of EOS concept is limited to pre-cast elements in both building and civil engineering projects in the construction industry. Majority of the experts opined that application of EOS concept is limited in the construction industry mainly due to unawareness on applicability of EOS (71%) and unique nature of the construction industry (43%). Further, it was identified that uncertainties in the construction industry act as the major barrier to the application of EOS. Confirmation of drawings at the initial stage, conducting training sessions and researches are strategies to promote the use of EOS in the construction industry, which in turn would enable direct economic growth via price efficiencies.
item: Conference-Full-text
Adaptability of green BIM technology for the green buildings in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Rathnasiri, HWTP; Jayasena, HS; Madusanka, N; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
To raise awareness of green building constructions, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been incorporated with unique sustainable strategies. Green BIM technology is a significant innovation of BIM, emerged through the integration of BIM with sustainable strategies, which enhance the sustainable growth of buildings while making better opportunities to improve the performance of green buildings. However, the utilisation of Green BIM technology for existing buildings is less amongst green building practitioners though Green BIM is widely used for design and construction phases of buildings. In the Sri Lankan context, since BIM is not implemented yet in building construction, operation and maintenance, the inherent capabilities of Green BIM technology are hidden and invisible. Thus, an effort is needed to convince and prove the importance of Green BIM technology for green building practitioners. Towards this effort, the research is aimed at identifying the potential of implementing Green BIM technology for the existing green buildings in Sri Lanka where BIM is not applied. Accordingly, a mixed research approach was followed to accomplish the research aim. Literature review revealed that, the data availability required for Green BIM techniques and tools is the critical requirement to implement the Green BIM technology for the established buildings. A desk study was conducted to determine the required data and availability of the data was analysed through a questionnaire survey and a case study. The findings of questionnaire survey demonstrated that, there is an acceptable level of data within the current established green buildings. The results of the case study highlighted the potential of Green BIM implementation for the existing green buildings. Thus, the study concluded by identifying the ability of incorporating Green BIM technology for the existing green buildings considering the real-life context which ensure the Green BIM implementation for the green building sector in Sri Lanka.
item: Conference-Full-text
Alcohol consumption patterns of construction workers in Hong Kong
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Rowlinson, S; Shen, Y; Koh, TY; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Alcohol consumption is prevalent among construction workers, and it may have negative implications for workers’ overall health, productivity, and safety performance. The alcohol-related risks are associated with drinking pattern and consumption volume. To understand the drinking pattern and help devise effective interventions to prevent drinking problem in construction workers in Hong Kong, the research team conducted a one-month drinking pattern survey with a convenience sample of construction workers on railway projects in Hong Kong, using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as the primary instrument. With 1203 valid responses, the research team compared alcohol-related risk exposure among different categories of workers through Chi-squared tests. The results showed that 16.6% of respondents drink excessively, and 28% drink in a harmful way. Furthermore, male workers are prone to more severe alcohol-related risks than their female counterparts, Nepalese workers are exposed to more severe alcoholrelated risks than their Chinese counterparts, workers in four trades (i.e., mechanics, welders, shotfirers, and miners) are more likely to experience alcohol-related risks than others, and workers in the age group of 30-39 are subject to more severe alcohol-related risks. The findings can help regulatory bodies formulate industry-wide codes of practice and prompt management to give special attention to certain categories of workers.
item: Conference-Full-text
Applicability of phase change materials (PCMS) for peak load shifting of air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems of office buildings in tropical climates
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Wijewardane, MA; Figurado, SA; Kajaharan, M; Weerasinghe, NDAM; Ranasinghe, RACP; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Air Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) Systems are often used to maintain the thermal comfort and the indoor air quality in office buildings in tropical climates. These ACMVs usually account for more than 50% of the total energy consumption of the buildings. Compared to other available technologies, use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) has been identified as an attractive innovative technology to reduce the peak cooling load and also to shift the peak cooling load to after office-hours. Temperature of building envelopes constructed using conventional materials such as bricks and concrete tend to vary with the surrounding environmental conditions, as they only absorb or release the sensible heat. On the contrary, PCMs can absorb or release much larger amount of thermal energy from/to the surrounding as latent heat, while maintaining the building envelope temperature unaffected under varying environmental conditions. Thus, conventional building envelopes accompanied with PCMs are able to significantly reduce the external heat gains into the conditioned spaces of the buildings, resulting a significant reduction in the peak cooling load. This study is mainly focused on exploring the applicability of PCMs for hot and humid tropical climates. Numerical analysis supported and validated by an experimental program and a case study revealed that by covering exterior of building envelop with 5 mm - 10 mm thick PCMs can reduce the building peak cooling load by 8% - 12%. Moreover, it was found that the peak cooling load could be easily shifted to after office hours by increasing the PCM thickness. Economic analysis showed that the PCMs with higher thermal cycles reduces the pay back periods up to 2 - 3 years and, further supported the use of low-temperature PCMs for building applications. Findings of this study recommend to incorporate the PCMs on the building envelops of the sunlit walls to reduce the peak cooling load of the building with the aim of reducing the energy consumption by the ACMV system.
item: Conference-Full-text
Application of client’s quantity surveying practices in the power sector in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Melagoda, DG; Jayawickrama, TS; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
The effective use of Quantity Surveying practices is vital for the construction sector and its contribution to the overall economic growth and development of the country. With today’s competitive economy, the profession has been identified as paramount in a broad range of development sectors. In Sri Lanka, Quantity Surveyors’ involvement is limited to the construction stage of power generation and distribution projects as Consultant’s Quantity Surveying and Contractor’s Quantity Surveying practices. With the amplification of the power sector, cost and time overruns have been identified in power generation and distribution projects due to the absence of cost plans and the poor documentation of bids and contracts, leading to disputes, legal costs and poor administration of projects. Therefore, the involvement of Client’s Quantity Surveyors in power sector projects has been identified as important. This is an emerging path for Quantity Surveyors to contribute their expertise in Sri Lankan public sector developments projects. In this context, the study investigated the applicability of client’s quantity surveying practices in the Sri Lankan power sector. A mix research approach was adopted in the study including a preliminary survey and a questionnaire survey. The findings of preliminary survey were analyzed with content analysis technique. Data collected through questionnaire survey were analyzed using Relative Importance Index. It was identified that non-involvement of client’s Quantity surveyors in the Sri Lankan power sector is due to the lack of recognition of the requirement of the profession in the sector and execution of duties demanding quantity surveying expertise by other professionals in the power sector.
item: Conference-Full-text
Are green buildings economically sustainable? a LCC approach
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Weerasinghe, AS; Ramachandra, T; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
In the context of Sri Lanka, the number of green certified buildings is still at a minimal level and the reason could be attributed to green building investors who continue to perceive that green buildings are costly and the initial cost premium ranges from 20 to 25% and fail to appreciate the subsequent benefits in terms of running costs. However, in the global context, researchers have indicated that green building construction cost varies largely between -15 to 21% while only a little information is available on the status of operation and maintenance costs reduction. As part of the larger study which investigates the impact of sustainable features on life cycle cost of green buildings, this paper presents a comparison on life cycle cost of green certified industrial manufacturing building with that of a conventional building to establish the economic sustainability of green buildings. Quantitative data on the construction and running costs of green and conventional buildings were collected and analysed using Net Present Value. The analysis shows that the construction cost of green industrial manufacturing building is 28% higher than that of a conventional building while the reduction in running costs is 39%. Overall the green buildings offer an economic benefit of 50% savings over its life time. It is expected that the outcome of this research would contribute to the organisational learning of green built environment and thereby uplift the sustainable construction.
item: Conference-Full-text
Assessing sustainability of road projects in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Hapuarachchi, HNM; Jayawickrama, TS; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Road construction is a continuously evolving notion and a key player in nation’s economy. It has been identified as causing a range of countless environmental, social and economic impacts. Hence, there is a dire necessity of Sustainability Assessment (SA) in road construction. Many developed countries have their own rating systems for assessing road construction although this is lacking in developing countries. However, a commonly accepted assessment method for road construction over its life cycle is not available up to date. Addressing these gaps, this paper presents a framework for SA in road projects in Sri Lanka pertaining to construction activities associated in road life cycle under the three pillars of sustainability; i.e. Environmental, Social and Economic. A comprehensive literature survey was executed exploring road sustainability impacts and measures globally. An expert survey was carried out under two rounds with three professionals in road construction and sustainability to verify literature findings, and to explore more sustainability impacts and measures in road construction in Sri Lanka. A framework was developed including 10 major road sustainability impacts, 13 sub-impacts and 29 measures in a hierarchical structure. A pairwise comparison was carried out for the elements in the framework distributing 32 questionnaires among professionals. Collected data were analysed using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Analysed results weighted each element with a score resulting “Standard of living (0.2362)” and “Resource usage (0.2228)” as the most significant impacts where “Measures of improving Accessibility (0.1205)” as the most significant measures in the framework.
item: Conference-Full-text
BIM for facilities information management
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Wijekoon, KADNC; Manewa, A; Ross, A; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Successful adoption of Building Information Management (BIM) during design and construction phases is recurrent, and the benefits achieved through such adaptation had been encouraged to extend BIM in to other phases of construction including facilities management. However, a limited application of BIM in construction facilities management is noted. This paper reveals the potential use of BIM in FM phase, by giving more priority on ‘value of information’. The paper is based on a detailed literature review. The first section reveals the application of BIM in AEC/FM environments and second section discusses the industry standards and guidelines behind BIM in FM. The findings of the literature review explain that the key technological features attached to BIM drive for its wide application, however most of these features are tailored to design and construction tasks rather helping in FM tasks. A non-realisation of value of information is identified as a key issue for limited adoption of BIM in FIM. Therefore, the paper recommends to identify the value of BIM in its complete sense (information, technology and pocess) to understand the FM information requirement and technical developments that is necessary for specific FM needs.
item: Conference-Full-text
Building information modelling (BIM) implementation for MEP systems in buildings: a conceptual framework
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Shittu, HA; Zainon, N; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
The challenge in coordination of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems is a common problem peculiar to the MEP industry. Although the traditional Two-Dimensional Computer Aided Design (2D CAD) has been used in the industry to resolve the problem of coordination, it has not been effective. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for Building Information Modelling (BIM) that can be implemented in the MEP Industry. This will facilitate a seamless transition to BIM and solve the MEP coordination problem of the traditional 2D CAD project delivery approach. The conceptual framework was developed and refined through an extensive review of the literature concerning BIM. The framework developed is a model based collaboration framework that will allow MEP firms to collaborate to produce the coordinated construction model during the MEP coordination process. The framework has the potential to be used as a practical methodology for guiding the MEP firms that intend to implement BIM.
item: Conference-Full-text
Carbon hotspots of office buildings in the UK
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Victoria, M; Perera, S; Davies, A; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Embodied carbon of buildings is receiving substantial attention due to the increasing statutory requirements on operational carbon of buildings. Even though the embodied carbon of buildings is not regulated at present there is a need to control embodied impacts of buildings because embodied carbon of buildings tends to increase as the operational carbon savings increase. Focusing on intensive emissions sources or the hotspots is an effective way of managing embodied carbon during the early stages of design though there is a gap with regards to the knowledge of carbon hotspots. Therefore, embodied carbon estimates of 28 office buildings in the UK were obtained and the carbon hotspots of buildings (in accordance with NRM element classification) were identified using the 80:20 Pareto Principle. Frame, Substructure, External walls, Services and Upper Floors were identified as carbon hotspots of the sample. However, findings do not support the 80:20 ratio in this case but propose a ratio of 80:36. In addition, the building elements were categorised into three types based on the probability of each element is being identified as a hotspot in the sample which is referred to as the ‘carbon hotspot probability’. The elements that were categorised as ‘Lead Positions’ and ‘Special Positions’ are the elements with higher reduction potential compared to remainder positions and require more attention during the early stages of design to achieve maximum reduction in embodied carbon.
item: Conference-Full-text
Causes of accidents in highway construction projects in Oman
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Umar, T; Wamuziri, S; Egbu, C.; Sandanayake, YG
Construction workers are three to four times more likely than workers in other sectors to die from accidents at work. Construction is one of the main industries in Oman providing jobs to 18% of the total population and contributing around 10% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Considering the costs associated with accidents in construction, a model identifying the root causes of accidents is proposed for construction organizations in Oman. The model classifies the accidents in construction mainly arising from main four causes: “Equipment / Materials”, “Workers”, “Environment” and “Management”. The model is applied to a road construction project in Oman to trace the root causes of accidents. It can also be applied to construction projects in other sectors such as building or process plant construction. The results of this investigation reveal that a substantial proportion of accidents (more than 41%) arise from the “Worker”. The Management contribution is 31%, Equipment/Materials contribute 14% to the accidents and the Environment contribution is 12%. These findings are based on accident statistics that occurred on a single road project. Further research is recommended to extend the study to other projects in the construction sector in order to generalize the findings. Knowing the root causes of accidents will help organizations to develop effective strategies to reduce accidents in future projects. Although the frequency distribution of accidents is likely to vary from project to project, understanding the underlying pattern of their causes helps to pinpoint the key areas where resources should be directed in the organizations’ efforts to deliver the goal of zero accidents.
item: Conference-Full-text
Challenges in maintaining the green certification in Sri Lankan hotel sector
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Bandara, NHMWWCPK; Dissanayake, DMPP; Karunasena, G; Madusanka, N; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Green Certification towards the sustainable concept has become a remarkable area in the hotel industry. Sustainable concept is no more new for the hoteliers and sightseers seek greener of the accommodation prior to arrival. Green Certification is contributing towards creating an environment friendly hotel by integrating the sustainability concept. Most of the hoteliers perceive that the Green Certification is a marketing tool which increases the customer demand as well as profit. Also, it is kind of aggressive tools which can contribute to competitiveness in a successful manner. Some people are saying that the Green Certification is one of the energy saving mechanisms because it directly focuses towards energy saving aspects. Even though Green Certification is more important for the hotel sector, there may be some challenges when maintaining the Green certification. Therefore, investigating those challenges is an essential requirement for entire hotel sector towards the continuation of the Green certification. Hence, the aim of this study has been initiated to investigate the challenges in maintaining Green Certification in the hotel sector in Sri Lanka. A qualitative research approach was followed to investigate the challenges in maintaining Green Certification in Sri Lankan hotel sector and twelve individuals were interviewed from three cases to obtain data for the research. Semi-structured interviews were carried out as data collection method and the collected data were subjected to cross case analysis to investigate challenges. Eventually, the outcomes of this study demonstrated that there are several challenges in maintaining Green Certification and it was explored under five categories, namely technical, managerial, political and legal, environmental and biological, social and cultural.
item: Conference-Full-text
Challenges of transcending BIM information from design phase to real time on-site construction phase
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Wijewickrama, MKCS; Jayasena, HS; Ariyachandra, MRMF; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary paradigm which espouses modernization and innovativeness to the conventional Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industry. Successful BIM model is enriched with information which was congregated during design phase and such information should be circulated throughout the project life cycle without disturbing its originality. Nevertheless, when the complete BIM information is transferred to the site office, the on-site personnel are not absorbing the real essence of effective BIM information for on-site construction activities. Improvements in Mobile Computing Technology (MCT) have succeeded in linking this communication gap through forms of electronic pocketbooks, personnel laptops and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). Even though, there is a greater push from technology, site personnel are not willing to accept it and they still prefer the traditional procedure. This discloses that site personnel are not prepared to practice such technologies due to their nature of Resistance to Change (RTC). Subsequently, the aim of the research is to identify the challenges of transcending BIM information from design phase to real time on-site construction phase. To accomplish the aim, a qualitative research approach was followed, steering semi-structured interviews. The gathered information was analysed rigorously through computer based content analysis. This topical study manifest that, all the recognized resisting factors extensively challenge the transcending of BIM information to the on-site construction phase. Hence, the research has successfully identified the challenges which barricade the transcending of BIM information to real time on-site construction phase.
item: Conference-Full-text
Comparison of sustainable materials for railway track support systems: a literature review
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Senaratne, S; Mirza, O; Dekruif, T; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Timber transoms have been extensively used in the railway industry for decades and are considered the most efficient and effective in terms of reliability and performance for railway infrastructure transom components However, many studies have raised concerns surrounding the future of sustainable use and cyclic maintenance and replacement requirement of timber transom’s in railway infrastructure Over the past decade, there has been significant research and development in alternative railway transom replacements using a variety of new materials. It is vital to develop a detailed understanding of existing and new alternative transom materials that are emerging into the railway industry and delineate whether these materials may be suitable as a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. Hence, the aim of this paper was to evaluate suitability of alternative transom materials as a substitute to existing transom materials in railway track support systems. The alternative materials considered were Precast Concrete and Composite Fibre Technology Panels against the conventional timber transforms. The paper offers a comparison between these materials through a literature review. It was concluded that the fibre composite alternative has the most beneficial alternative transom option and the railway industry could consider this material as an innovative, sustainable material for railway track support system.
item: Conference-Full-text
Computer based model to change occupational safety & health and energy management attitudes of occupants in the garment industry
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Ratnasinghe, AD; Seneviratne, LDIP; Ranasinghe, U; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Garment industry is one of the major contributors to the Sri Lankan economy. Nonetheless, productivity of the industry is crucially influenced by Occupational safety and health (OSH) and Energy management (EM) mal-behaviours. Even within the industry, behaviour of sewing machine operators are vital. It is noted that that industry is the second most contributor to the OSH accidents. Further, energy demand for the manufacturing is a major concern. In fact, it is notable that these two areas can be enriched by altering personnel attitudes, which will ultimately affect to the behavioural patterns. There are varieties of tools to change attitudes of people in order to change their behaviours. Computer models can be considered as a modern approach. Thus, this research focuses on current common behavioural issues and brings-up a computer model as a solution Consequently, the research concludes findings obtained through preliminary investigation and a semi structured questionnaire survey that was conducted upon, behavioural issues and applicability of computer model respectively. Preliminary investigation consists of two surveys; expert opinion survey and structured questionnaire survey. Ten number of issues were confirmed. Not wearing PPEs, poor sitting positions, removing safety devices of the machine and not switching off probe lights and machine were noted as top three significant issues. In computer model, top two accepted aspects were scoring mechanism and monitory gifts for winners.
item: Conference-Full-text
Constrains in integrating facilities manager in the project development process in construction industry
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Abeydeera, LHUW; Karunasena, G; Hussain, MCN; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
The role of a Facility Manager is to optimize the building performance and ensure smooth operations. The importance of having a facility manager in the development phase of construction projects has been recognised by a majority of the construction companies around the world. Sri Lankan construction sector is yet to recognize the full potential of the Facility Manager, especially in fine tuning a construction project and thus ensuring better operations later. The aim of this research was to identify the potential roles of a Facility Manager and constraints in integrating a Facility Manager in building project development process in Sri Lankan construction industry. In order to achieve the objectives of this research 9 semi structured interviews were conducted among FM and non-FM professionals of the building construction sector and 4 expert interviews were conducted among experienced building construction professionals. Through the interviews, it was identified that Facility Managers have several potential roles in a construction project such as facilities consultant, facilities manager, facilities advisor, facilities supervisor, maintenance advisor and lighting planner. Moreover, several constraints such as limited authority, financial constraints, communication lapses, lack of resources, cost variations and knowledge gap etc. which have restricted the involvement of a FM were recognized through the interviews. Finally, the expert opinions were used to recognize how to integrate the FM in to construction projects by mitigating the constraints and how to utilize the FM knowledge and competencies for building project development process.
item: Conference-Full-text
Construction industry investment challenges: barriers for SME expansion
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Sriskandarajah, I; Hadiwattege, C; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
This research concentrates upon the requirements for expanding Small and Medium (SME) contractors into the level of large scale contractors and barriers for such. Adequate assets are a key requirement for succeeding in construction business. Construction companies have many physical and impalpable assets. Given the SMEs fulfil required asset levels, with proper management, it is possible for SMEs to expand over time and achieve the goal of becoming large scale organisations. However, improving the grades should not focus only upon turnover, yet various other resource and management requirements need to be met. In order to identify the exact requirements of SME to large scale conversion, necessary asset level changes and barriers for such conversions were required to be analysed. A quantitative approach was taken in collecting field data and the data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Contracting organisations were considered as the unit of analysis and data were collected from 205 units with a response rate of 76%. The research reveals the necessity of improving annual turnover, P&E, and staff assets of SMEs in reaching the large-scale organisation level. In doing so; management issues, lack of finance and motivation, and employees with insufficient knowledge and skills are the critical internal challenges. The external barriers were identified as: high cost of capital, inadequate financial structure, changes in the government policies and the political unrest, and lack of information. Thereby overcoming the identified barriers will enable SME expansion, which will increase construction industry investment complementing the economic development.
item: Conference-Full-text
Design process standardisation for building projects in India
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Joe, M; Sahadevan, V; Varghese, K; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
The effectiveness of the design process significantly influences the performance of a building construction project. In a complex design environment, the advent of compressed fast-track schedules can cause disruptions in construction. It is, therefore, imperative to allocate appropriate efforts during design to minimize these disruptions. Thus, a framework which guides organizations to develop a well-structured design process will ensure better project delivery. A preliminary study revealed that design processes in Indian construction industry were generally unstructured. A more detailed study of the design processes of four Indian developer organizations mapped the current design processes as swim lane diagrams. Analysis of these processes showed that design at each organization was driven by certain priorities and the design stage durations varied significantly, especially in the concept design stage where these priorities have maximum influence. Based on the analysis, it is apparent that standardization within an organization/project type is required and more feasible, than a single industry-wide standardization of the process. This paper also presents a preliminary SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer) methodology to internally standardize design process which is derived from the maturity levels recommended in the Capability Maturity Model framework. This methodology has been used to develop generic process charts from the design processes mapped for the organizations sampled. It is anticipated that the availability of these standards will enable better planning and monitoring of building design.
item: Conference-Full-text
Ecological footprint to evaluate environmental sustainability of apparel sector built environments: the Sri Lankan perspective
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2017-06) Ekanayake, BJ; Sandanayake, YG; Sandanayake, YG; Ramachandra, T; Gunatilake, S
Accelerated human pressure on earth has necessitated adopting environmental footprints to evaluate environmental sustainability. Ecological Footprint (EF), Carbon Footprint (CF) and Water Footprint (WF) are common environmental footprints used to evaluate environmental sustainability globally. Although there is a growing interest for calculating CF and WF, there is a lack of application of EF for environmental sustainability evaluation in Sri Lankan apparel sector. Therefore, this research investigates the applicability of EF to evaluate environmental sustainability in apparel sector built environments in Sri Lanka. Research scope was limited to evaluate environmental impacts of energy consumption, water utilisation and waste generation in apparel sector built environments. A qualitative research approach was followed to pursue the research aim. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to review the concept of EF and the relationship of EF with CF and WF. Subsequently, three apparel sector factories were investigated in detail to identify the nature of EF application in Sri Lanka and collected data was subjected to content analysis. Findings revealed that, even though EF is not currently fully calculated, it is partially evaluated through quantification of CF and Grey WF. It was also revealed that EF can be practiced to evaluate environmental sustainability in apparel sector built environments in Sri Lanka. Difficulty to understand the underlying assumptions of EF of water utilisation and EF of waste generation was identified as the main barrier. Providing training and awareness on the application of EF, raising awareness on calculating EF of water utilisation and EF of waste generation are some of the strategies to overcome barriers.

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