FARU Journal
http://dl.lib.uom.lk/handle/123/18575
2024-03-28T19:20:45ZDreams Fall Apart: People’s Experience of a Development Project in Sri Lanka
http://dl.lib.uom.lk/handle/123/19038
Dreams Fall Apart: People’s Experience of a Development Project in Sri Lanka
Dissanayake, P
Today, “development” has become one of the most influential and dominant concepts among global political and economic discourses. For
many scholars the concept of development has become a convincing notion after the Second World War. After sixty years of development, one
wonders whether developing nations were able to achieve their targets. In order to examine the link between the hegemonic development
discourse and the practice, this study focuses on a particular development project carried out by the renowned NGO, World Vision, in two
rural areas in Sri Lanka. I spent a month in Mahakumbukkadawala and Nawagattegama areas to collect data and stories. The study
examines the notion of development as adopted by World Vision and how the project has affected the people in these areas. Further, the
research demonstrates that development is unique to the place and the people; hence, it is impossible to import, but needs to grow from within
the communities and individuals.
2014-12-01T00:00:00ZCost Benefits of Steel compared to In-situ Concrete in Sri Lankan Building Construction
http://dl.lib.uom.lk/handle/123/19036
Cost Benefits of Steel compared to In-situ Concrete in Sri Lankan Building Construction
Chandanie, H; Kandemulla, L
Ever increasing building construction activities involve high technologies and innovations to overcome the challenges in front of the process.
Among the key challenges of building construction, cost of construction is prominent. However the construction industry constantly experiment
innovative solutions which may offer favorable cost benefits for building construction. Most of developed countries draw attention on materialwise
solution together with better administration and co-ordination within construction environment. Concerns on steel as a cost effective
material for construction is one of an ideal example which suggested having the ability to offer better answers for future construction challenges.
Steel buildings are designed, fabricated and constructed to meet the needs of the customer and to be cost effective. With steel construction,
delays in construction are less, and unexpected costs that often associated in traditional constructions are reduced or eliminated. Properties of
steel and vantages of steel construction also have been influenced in erection of steel structures such as skyscrapers, high-rise building and other
small buildings in the developed countries. Future adaptability with easy connection systems, minimum waste, long life, reduced disruption at
sites, suitability for confined sites are some benefits of using of steel as the main construction material. Eventually, above-mentioned benefits of
steel will be afforded indirect cost benefits of steel building construction.
The aim of this research is set as to identify the cost benefits of steel building construction in terms of factors of production in Sri Lankan
construction industry. In achieving the above aim the method followed comprises of a comprehensive literature survey followed by a
questionnaire survey. Data collection was done through the questionnaire survey to gather expertise knowledge and experiences of professionals
in the industry. Through the questionnaire, related cost influence factors of production were compared between steel and in-situ concrete
construction. Questionnaires were distributed among 44 construction industry professional and received 30 responses. The collected data was
analyzed using RII, binomial test and median and approach to two major outcomes. Cost factors were identified which were offered cost
beneficial and not cost beneficial separately in steel building construction compared to in-situ concrete building construction. It was found out
that labour, material related costs are beneficial factors of steel construction over in-situ construction. In-situ construction is ahead of steel in
terms of cost benefits in the areas of land, standards and technologies related cost factors whereas maintenance cost shows no significant
difference. Therefore it can be concluded that steel construction offers cost benefits over in-situ construction as labour and material contributes
to a higher proportion of project cost.
2014-12-01T00:00:00ZFactors of the Built Environment that Affects the Walkability in a Sri Lankan Urban Neighborhood
http://dl.lib.uom.lk/handle/123/19034
Factors of the Built Environment that Affects the Walkability in a Sri Lankan Urban Neighborhood
Rathnasiri, GKS; Ranasinghe, TKGP; Susantha, AL
The quality of the neighboring environment plays a major role in encouraging people to walk when attending to their daily needs. Although
many previous studies identified a relationship between different factors of the built environment and the level of walkability, this
interdependence is poorly understood in urban planning in Sri Lanka. This Study analyses the relevance of thirty factors of the built
environment, identified by previous studies as affecting the walkability, to Sri Lankan urban context, using thirty five residents within a
selected neighborhood in the town of Panadura. The identified factors were examined within a 100m radius of each participant’s residence
through a questionnaire survey and field observations. Chi-squared analysis and bivariate correlation analysis were carried out to identify the
most decisive factors for walkability. The results show that block length, the number of street lights, vehicle ownership, having relatives in the
neighborhood and unpleasant land uses are the most significant factors.
2014-12-01T00:00:00ZA study on the relationships among Natami, city functions and built environment with special reference to Pettah, Sri Lanka
http://dl.lib.uom.lk/handle/123/19033
A study on the relationships among Natami, city functions and built environment with special reference to Pettah, Sri Lanka
Nayomi, HHKR; Mahanama, PKS
Wholesale and retail trades play a vital role in a city’s economy. From the early days of the evolution of cities, a group of labor specialized in
loading, unloading and carrying goods emerged to cater to the need of moving goods within the city. During the Colonial era, in order to cater
to the demand for economic means of delivering goods within the city in increasing wholesale and retail businesses, the British rulers brought in
Indian Coolies to Sri Lanka and to many of their colonies to provide manual labor. Today, they are identified as Natamis and work in
wholesale trading areas such as Pettah in Colombo and many other urban areas in Sri Lanka. With the advancement of technology many of
the tasks of these goods carriers got replaced by motorized modes such as forklifts, trucks, lorries, cranes etc, but this occupation is not totally
disappeared from the wholesale trading areas in Asian cities. It is observed that the character of the built environment and the prevailing city
functions, especially the mode of local transactions of goods between traders, support the extended existence of Natami in Pettah; City of
Colombo. This research explores the relationships between the Natami community, the city functions and the built environment of the City of
Colombo using network analysis. Through the understanding derived from the analysis, this paper calls for the due attention of the policy
makers and planners in planning and designing the city environments to identify the hidden but vital role played by these communities in
making cities more effective and vibrant.
2014-12-01T00:00:00Z