Browsing by Author "Zainudeen, N"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

item: Conference-Abstract
Barriers in implementing sustainable piling construction practices in Sri Lanka
(2021-07) Kumara, HPSGS; Zainudeen, N; Jayasanka, TADK; Waidyasekara4, KGAS
The construction of pile foundation is a multifaceted activity among rest of the construction activities that are performed by heavy machines, materials, and energy sources generating substantial amount of CO2 and greenhouse gases along with many other forms of environmental pollution. Sustainable piling construction guarantees that the whole piling process meets environmental sustainability and ultimately human health and wellbeing. Many countries around the world, including United States, China, the United Arab Emirates, are in the forefront of reengineering piling construction activities. Implementation of sustainable practices in piling construction Sri Lanka is still at a low level. Succinctly, several hindrances and barriers can be identified when adopting sustainable piling construction practices. Hence, the aim of this paper is to identify the environmental impact due to the current piling construction practices in Sri Lanka and to investigate barriers in implementing sustainable piling construction practices. A questionnaire survey was conducted among thirty (30) experts in piling construction. Significant barriers were identified using the relative importance index technique in data analysis. The findings revealed that among the ten (10) barriers identified, cost overrun and poor pile design, investment risk, lack of awareness of sustainable techniques and technologies as the top three (3) barriers in implementing sustainable piling construction practices. The study clearly identified the need for improving sustainability practices that can also enhance cost-effectiveness and performance efficiency. Findings of this study will be useful in formulating strategies to overcome the barriers and improve sustainability practices in the local construction industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
Client’s impact to the schedule Delays in road projects: contractor’s perspective
Abeykoon, MMGD; Zainudeen, N; Perera, CSR; Madhuwanthi, HAS
The problem of schedule delay is a frequent and regular phenomenon in the construction projects. Road construction of Sri Lanka is no exception. Client as a key project participant has a control on duration of construction phases. This makes client a casual cause for schedule delay. However, contractor also is a major suffering party due to unprecedented delays. Therefore, this research is aimed at investigating the contractor’s perspective of client’s impact to the schedule delay in rehabilitation and widening road projects (RWRP) in Sri Lanka. Initially, a comprehensive literature review aided to identify types and effects of delay in road construction projects. Further, identified literature was refined in the sense of Sri Lankan context through three number of preliminary interviews. Next, six cases were selected considering RWRPs in Sri Lanka and steered a document review to investigate the influence of the involvement of the client for delays. Then, a questionnaire survey was carried out to examine the significance of client’s causes for delay on contractor’s perspective and to identify the client’s best practices including suggestions to minimize the delays in RWRPs in Sri Lanka. The analysed data confirmed that delayed interim payments to the contractors due to monetary difficulties of the client, change orders by the client throughout the construction period, delay in land acquisition and delay in handing over the site for construction work as key client causative factors. This study request client to adhere with the identified best practices to mitigate schedule delays in RWRP in Sri Lanka.
item: Conference-Full-text
Financial viability of using green roofing in residential buildings
Withanage, IM; Zainudeen, N; Nadeeshani, M
As a result of increased attention towards sustainability worldwide, green concepts have become popular in the construction industry. Green roof is one of the essential elements in a green building that provide many advantages while creating a pleasant appearance for the total building. Green roofs play a major role in energy saving of a building. However, compared to a conventional roof, the initial and maintenance costs of a green roof is quite high due to the additional construction and high maintenance requirements. Thus, this paper compares the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of a green roof with that of a conventional ceramic tile roof in order to determine the financial viability of green roofing. Findings were gathered from several cases and past researches under initial cost, maintenance cost and energy saving of green roofs and adopted to the selected case for the analysis. Findings of the study indicate that initial cost of the green roof was higher than conventional and represented 8.39:(-6.55) proportion of the total life cycle cost of the building. Similarly, maintenance, operational and replacement costs were also higher than the conventional representing 12.08:(-6.55) proportion of the total life cycle cost of the building. Green roof also had higher energy cost than the conventional, representing (-23.64):(-6.55) proportion of total life cycle cost of the building. As a result, it was found that (-Rs. 11,654.70)/m2 net saving by a green roof is considerable despite of the high initial and the maintenance cost. According to the study, green roofing concept is financially and environmentally beneficial concept even though there are some barriers, like lack of knowledge, lack of techniques, lack of standards in implementing this concept in the Sri Lankan context. Hence, it is recommended to use green roofing in residential buildings.
item: Article-Full-text
An integrated approach of Lean-Green construction: Sri Lankan perspective
(Emerald, 2020) Pandithawatta, TPWSI; Zainudeen, N; Perera, CSR
Construction industry hesitates to associate Green concepts on building projects mainly due to its high initial investment cost. Even if it is economical in the long run, often the benefits are suppressed with the costs generated through non-value-adding activities in the construction process. Lean construction principles have proved to eliminate such waste while enhancing the construction process. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the integration of Lean and Green concepts in the construction industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
Integrating lean and green concepts: Sri Lankan construction industry perspective
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2018-06) Pandithawatta, TPWSI; Zainudeen, N; Perera, CSR; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
Construction industry developers and project teams usually struggle to associate the concept of Green on building projects since it is generally resulting in high initial investment cost. Although this cost of investment can be saved back through operational stage, the current building project delivery methods implemented by most project teams are often laden with non- value adding activities. Lean construction principles have been convinced to eliminate flow activities and improve construction process performance in highly complicated building construction projects. Hence, the aim of this research is to explore and develop a framework to integrate Lean and Green concepts to the Sri Lankan construction industry. At the outset, the key features and principles of Lean and Green construction were identified to build the conceptual relationship between the two concepts. Subsequently, a qualitative research approach was adopted through the means of expert opinion survey with unstructured interviews involving ten number of local expert professionals who have experience and exposure to both of these concepts. The findings were analysed through content analysis. The perception of the Sri Lankan stakeholders towards the application of integrated Lean-Green concepts is focused on a positive direction. The identified enablers to implement the integrated concept supersede the barriers by confirming the appropriateness of the application in the local construction industry. The Green concept was integrated into the activities that are implemented under each Lean construction principle. Finally, a framework was developed through the findings to guide the implementation of integrated Lean- Green application in Sri Lankan context.
item: Conference-Full-text
Management of carbon footprint in apparel industry: a systematic literature review
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Sandaruwan, IPT; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Zainudeen, N
Climate change is a significant challenge confronting humanity today. Public and private experts in developed and developing countries along with a few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worldwide are attempting to reconcile monetary expansion with its adverse effects on climate change. The apparel sector is now the second-largest industrial polluter, contributing 10% of the world's carbon emissions. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate potential strategies to minimise carbon footprint (CFP) in the apparel sector. The study selected a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method methodology and content analysis was used as the analysis technique. The findings spotlight that energy, solid waste, wastewater, packing waste fabric and accessories and fuel are the primary sources in emitting the GHG emission in the apparel sector within various life cycle stages. Therefore, the study found various potential strategies to reduce CFP in the apparel sector, focusing on raw material-based GHG emissions, energy-based GHG emissions, solid waste-based GHG emissions, and waste water-based GHG emissions. Moreover, the study shows common strategies that will lead to reduce CFP in the apparel sector. The results from this study provide a handful of guidance to apparel sector stakeholders, other industry stakeholders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant authorities to address the CFP in the manufacturing industry.
item: Conference-Abstract
Operational energy saving in buildings : a comparison of green vs conventional wall
(2021-07) Madushika, UGD; Ramachandra, T; Zainudeen, N
The green wall concept has been introduced as one of the solutions to reduce energy demand for ventilation requirements while improving the natural vegetation in dense urban areas. Past studies revealed that the energy-saving of green walls can vary substantially, from 35% to 90% across countries such as United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Russia, Greece, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and Brazil. Given these differences in energy saving of green walls due to climatic conditions and other reasons, direct application of such findings to the Sri Lankan context is questionable. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the thermal performance of green wall applications in Sri Lanka through a case study analysis of an indirect green façade with a comparative conventional wall. The required data were extracted through on-site temperature measurements from different points of both the exterior and interior wall surfaces of each building in different time intervals per day for a period of fourteen days spanning from October to November. The analysis shows that the green walls contribute to 21% - 36% of temperature difference compared to the conventional wall. Eventually, this results in 0.06 kWh of energy-saving per m2 of wall area, and thereby green walls contribute to the 80% energy saving for ventilation requirements. Hence, the study recommends that the use of green walls can be considered as one of the energy efficiency solutions while improving natural vegetation in tropical climatic cities and absorbing other benefits of green walls.
item: Conference-Abstract
SWOT analysis for large scale contractors of Sri Lanka
Gimhan, A; Zainudeen, N; Pandithawatta, S
According to the Central Bank statistics of Sri Lanka, construction industry contributes around 10% of the GDP. Moreover, the construction industry output directly relies on the construction contractors’ performance out of which most of the contractors are local. Therefore, local construction contractors are the top most significant characters in the industry. Thus, enhancing the performance of local contractors assist the development of national economy. Hence, the aim of the research study is to identify significant facts about the status of large-scale local contractors. At the outset, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of contractors. With the expert interviews, factors related to local contractors were identified. Then a questionnaire survey was carried out to rank the factors in order to identify the most significant factors. As per the findings Sri Lankan construction industry is furnished with many significant strengths and weaknesses. However, external factors such as labor scarcity, frequently changing government policies, skilled labor migration and prequalification criteria in major projects are the threats that affect the local contractors. Few opportunities are available for local contractors such as gain experience on megaprojects, technology transfer and improved management and coordination capability.
item: Article-Full-text
Towards promoting sustainability in the learning environment – a focus on green walls and green roofs
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, 2024) Madushika, D; Ramachandra, T; Kodituwakku, D; Zainudeen, N
Environmental concerns have gained international attention as a result of rising urbanisation and population expansion. One of the main sectors responsible for the devastation of the environment is the construction industry. It is responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and nearly 30% of greenhouse gasses. Aside from the energy crisis, climate change, global warming, declining biodiversity, and health issues are some of the challenges facing current society. Those have led to the amalgamation of natural vegetation into the built environment. Amongst several forms of natural vegetation such as rain gardens, street trees, urban drainage systems, green roofs, and green walls, etc., Due to the limited availability of land and the multiple advantages that it offers in terms of three sustainability pillars, green walls and roofs represent the most technologically sound solutions.