Institutional-Repository, University of Moratuwa
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Recent Submissions
item: Conference-Full-text
Legislative provisions for circular economy implementation in the construction industry within the Sri Lankan jurisdiction
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Abeynayake, MDTE; Perera, BAKS; Mahanamahewa, P; Abeysekara, TB; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The Construction Industry (CI) is a significant contributor to waste generation and environmental degradation. The Circular Economy (CE) concept has emerged as a promising approach to improve resource efficiency and minimising waste within CI. However, the lack of adequate legislative support remains a key barrier to implementation of CE particularly in developing countries including Sri Lanka. Despite growing interest in CE adoption, limited research has examined the extent to which existing legislative provisions facilitate the implementation within the Sri Lankan CI. This research aims to investigate the adaptability of existing legislative provisions relevant to CE implementation in the Sri Lankan CI. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, comprising a document review and semi-structured interviews with experts. A documentary review revealed seven legislative-related CE practices in the Sri Lankan jurisdiction. The findings reveal that while existing legislation provides several indirect enablers for CE implementation, the overall regulatory framework remains fragmented and lacks dedicated provisions to effectively support circular construction practices. This study contributes to the literature by providing one of the first systematic assessments of legislative provisions relevant to CE implementation within the Sri Lankan construction industry. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to strengthen the regulatory framework for a transition towards a circular built environment.
item: Conference-Full-text
Macroeconomic driven cement price forecasting in Sri Lanka using econometric and deep learning models
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Hemantha, HHAP; Uduwage, DNLS; Shiwakoti, RK; Waidyasekara, KAGS; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Cement price stability is fundamental to the performance of the construction sector, which significantly contributes to national economic development in Sri Lanka. However, recent macroeconomic instability characterized by exchange rate depreciation, inflationary pressures, and fuel price volatility has intensified cement price fluctuations, particularly during the 2022 economic crisis. Despite the growing need for reliable forecasting tools, limited research has evaluated the combined application of econometric and deep learning models for cement price prediction in highly volatile emerging economies. This study develops and compares forecasting models using a 20-year monthly macroeconomic dataset (2006 to 2025). An Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (ARIMAX) model was established as a linear baseline, incorporating key predictors including Inflation, Exchange Rate, Diesel Price, and Global Coal Prices identified through Pearson correlation analysis. Advanced deep learning architectures, namely Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), and Attention-based LSTM (ATT-LSTM), were implemented to capture non-linear temporal dependencies. Model performance was evaluated using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and R-squared (R²). Results indicate that while the GRU model achieved the highest accuracy under optimized sequence-length configurations, the LSTM demonstrated greater stability and robustness during crisis-period testing. Overall, deep learning architectures outperformed the ARIMAX baseline in capturing cement price volatility during the Sri Lankan economic crisis. These findings can support contractors, quantity surveyors, and policymakers in improving procurement planning and managing construction cost risks during periods of economic instability.
item: Conference-Full-text
Managing end-of-life impacts of solar photovoltaic systems: a Sri Lankan perspective
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Jayanandana, U; Tennakoon, GA; Kodituwakku,; Chan, M; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The rapid expansion of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems as part of the global transition toward renewable energy has raised increasing concerns regarding the environmental impact of their End-Of-Life (EOL). Although solar PV technology contributes significantly to renewable electricity generation and has been widely adopted in Sri Lanka, the management of PV systems that have reached their EOL remains insufficiently explored in the local context. With projections indicating that global PV panel waste could reach approximately 78 million tonnes by 2050, effective EOL management strategies have become increasingly important. This study investigates how the EOL management of solar PV systems can be improved to minimise their environmental impact. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews, with participants selected through purposive sampling based on their professional experience in the local solar PV sector and their knowledge of EOL practices. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed ten strategies for improving EOL management, grouped into five key categories: government leadership, recycling infrastructure, circularity in design, extended producer responsibility, and awareness building. Government leadership emerged as a significant contributor, highlighting the need for supportive regulations, incentives for recycling, and the establishment of collection schemes for EOL solar PV systems. Moreover, the study emphasised integrating circularity principles into solar PV system design, including the use of recyclable and sustainable materials, modular components, and less material-intensive components. The findings provide practical insights for strengthening EOL management and supporting the sustainable expansion of solar PV systems in Sri Lanka.
item: Conference-Full-text
Managing foreign labour in Malaysia’s construction sector: practices and constraints
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Sanmargaraja, S; Olanrewaju, A; Ali, MA; Chu, HC; Khor, SC; Ponniah, V; Kanniyapan, G; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The Malaysian construction sector is heavily dependent on foreign labour, making effective labour management a critical factor for project success. Despite their essential contributions to construction delivery and industry growth, foreign labourers often face challenges related to inadequate governance, weak enforcement, and suboptimal on-site management, exposing them to poor housing, low wages, unsafe conditions, and limited labour rights. These issues not only undermine worker well-being but also negatively impact productivity and project performance. This study investigates foreign labour management practices in Malaysia through a survey of 282 construction labourers using a 46-item questionnaire. The results indicate strong performance in workplace safety, supportive supervision, and accommodation management, while mid-level ratings were observed for job clarity, fair compensation, and training opportunities. High scores reflect better-performing sampled sites and do not mean issues are absent Weaknesses were identified in worker participation in decision-making and awareness of policies and labour rights. The findings underscore the need to enhance communication, participatory management, and policy awareness to improve worker satisfaction, compliance, and overall project outcomes. Strengthening these labour management practices is essential not only for protecting foreign labourers’ well-being but also for optimizing productivity and ensuring the effective execution of construction projects in Malaysia.
item: Conference-Full-text
Mapping infrastructure finance research in Africa’s built environment: a bibliometric review
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Ogungbe, MA; Aigbavboa, CO; Oke, AE; Ikuabe, MO; Aregbesola, GT; Ogunade, TV; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Infrastructure development plays a critical role in economic growth, urbanisation, and sustainable development across Africa. However, the persistent infrastructure deficit in many African countries has intensified the need for innovative financing mechanisms to support the delivery of built environment projects. Despite increasing scholarly attention to infrastructure financing, the structure, evolution, and knowledge domains of this research area remain fragmented. This study therefore presents a bibliometric review that maps the intellectual landscape of infrastructure finance research in Africa with specific relevance to the built environment and construction sector. Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Elsevier Scopus database, covering peer-reviewed publications on infrastructure financing in Africa. Bibliometric techniques including publication trend analysis, co-authorship networks, country collaboration patterns, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and citation analysis were conducted using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix. The analysis identifies the most influential authors, journals, and institutions contributing to the field, as well as emerging thematic clusters. The findings reveal significant growth in infrastructure finance research over the past decade, with dominant themes centred on public–private partnerships, infrastructure investment gaps, sustainable infrastructure financing, and policy frameworks for infrastructure development. The study also highlights limited cross-regional collaboration within Africa and identifies emerging research areas such as green infrastructure financing and digital infrastructure investment. The study contributes by providing a structured overview of research trends and identifying future research directions for infrastructure financing in Africa’s built environment.