Institutional-Repository, University of Moratuwa
Welcome to the University of Moratuwa Digital Repository, which houses postgraduate theses and dissertations, research articles presented at conferences by faculties and departments, university-published journal articles and research publications authored by academic staff. This online repository stores, preserves and distributes the University's scholarly work. This service allows University members to share their research with a larger audience.
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Recent Submissions
item: Thesis-Abstract
Development of performance benchmark for electricity consumption in high-rise apartment buildings in Sri Lanka
(2024) Karunadeera, BRS; Witharana, S
Globally, buildings are consuming over 40% of the total global energy consumption and locally buildings are consuming over 60% of energy from the total energy consumption in Sri Lanka. Apartment buildings have become popular as residential buildings all over the world due to urbanization, increased population density and land scarcity. There are a lot of apartment buildings which are currently in operation and also there are a significant number of apartment building construction projects are currently under way in Colombo and suburban areas.
The local regulatory body, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) develops energy benchmark systems for different sectors in Sri Lanka. SLSEA has already published benchmarking schemes for tea, apparel, hotel sectors, commercial buildings and other industrial sectors (porcelain, tire, food, cement and concrete etc.). However, there exists a notable gap as neither residential sectors nor specifically apartment buildings have been developed with energy benchmarking standards. This gap is significant considering the rapid rise in popularity of apartment buildings throughout Colombo and its suburban areas due to urbanization, population density and land scarcity. The construction of high-rise apartment buildings has surged, driven by their popularity and commercial viability. Given these circumstances, the objective of this research study is to develop an electricity consumption benchmarking scheme specifically for high-rise apartment buildings in Sri Lanka.
During the research study, the electricity consumption data for the years 2022 & 2023 were collected from 34 apartment buildings. Subsequently, the monthly electricity consumption was analyzed with respective total floor area and net floor area. Accordingly, the electricity consumption benchmarks for high-rise apartment buildings in Sri Lanka were proposed as 29.28 kWh/year/m2 per total floor area and 39.8 kWh/year/m2 per net floor area.
item: Thesis-Abstract
Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings according to the green building guidelines in Sri Lanka
(2025) Vithanage, HHA; Wijewardane, A
In recent years, there was a notable rise in global energy consumption due to rapid development. The significant energy usage was closely tied to a nation's economy and had detrimental impacts on the environment. Today, the entire world is facing an energy crisis due to the inability to supply energy according to future power and demand. It is worth noting that huge amounts of energy are wasted due to inappropriate consumption practices. Energy consumption of buildings is increasing every year due to the increasing demand for human comfort and services. Hence, prioritizing energy conservation has become imperative to mitigate energy expenses and environmental repercussions. In this respect, the necessity of increased environmental awareness in the process of sustainable development was realized by governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals alike. A component of the idea of increasing sustainability is the design of green buildings. The health, comfort, and productivity of employees all increased because of green buildings' more efficient use of vital resources like electricity, water, and land. It is also clear that green construction has a favorable effect on the building structures' long-term financial gains. A movement known as 'green building' gained momentum as the environmental impact of construction activities became more evident. This approach, rooted in sustainable construction principles, emphasized the need for environmentally friendly building practices. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program identifies six core principles of green building: sustainable siting, water efficiency, energy efficiency, use of materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and efficient commissioning, operation and maintenance. The objective of this study is to investigate the opportunities to improve the performance of existing commercial buildings in Sri Lanka by complying with green building standards. Implementing a building energy management system is a sophisticated way to monitor and optimize building energy consumption. By implementing such a system, valuable benefits could be achieved. Considering all the objectives, the main goal is to reduce the energy demand of buildings as much as possible and then adopt sustainable energy practices while improving the performance of all existing commercial buildings in line with Sri Lanka Green Building Guidelines. This study describes the key procedures for creating an energy baseline and conducting an energy audit on a commercial building to improve its energy efficiency. A building evaluation tool is also available to help increase building energy efficiency and fulfill the Green Building Council's basic energy standards.
item: Thesis-Abstract
Assessing the impact of urban design built from elements in pedestrian space for optimum user comfort : reference to Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
(2025) Surangi, HGA; Dharmasena, AWJH
This research explores the influencing built form elements of pedestrian space on pedestrian comfort in public service precinct with reference to Battaramulla, Sri Lanka. The pedestrian space is critical in shaping pedestrian movement, engagement, and overall urban experience for city users. The study addresses the research question of how do urban design built form elements affect pedestrian space in terms of providing optimum user comfort, with specific reference to Battaramulla.
To answer this, the research employs the methodology involving field surveys, and ArcGIS based analysis. Field surveys are conducted to collect data on built form urban design elements such as land use, comfort levels, and building features within the study area. These are crucial for understanding how different built form elements of the pedestrian space influence pedestrian activities and finally for the pedestrian comfort, including walking, seating, standing, eating and shopping.
Subsequently, ArcGIS based analysis is utilized to evaluate the spatial relationships and impacts of these features on pedestrian comfort. This analytical approach allows for the integration of survey data with geographical information, enabling a comprehensive assessment of how built form elements in pedestrian space contribute to the overall effectiveness and appeal of pedestrian comfort.
The findings reveal that pedestrian spaces with well-designed built form elements and features significantly enhance pedestrian activity and satisfaction. Specifically, spaces that offer amenities, aesthetic appeal, and functional design elements promote more frequent and enjoyable pedestrian interactions. Conversely, poorly designed pedestrian spaces may discourage pedestrian activity and lead to lower engagement in public precincts. And there are discrepancies in between expected pedestrian behavioral patterns, densities and actual pedestrian comfort levels.
This research offers valuable insights for urban designers aiming to improve pedestrian experiences and foster vibrant urban environments. By highlighting the critical elements that influence pedestrian comfort, the study contributes to the development of more effective and appealing urban spaces in rapidly growing public precinct like Battaramulla
item: Conference-Abstract
Civil Engineering Research Symposium 2025 (Pre-Text)
(Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, 2025) Baskaran, K; Mallikarachchi, C; Damruwan, H; Fernando, L; Herath, S
item: Conference-Abstract
Analysis of bending stiffness reduction in thin woven composites under large curvatures
(Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, 2025) Ranatunga, RGPM; Mallikarachchi, HMYC; Baskaran, K; Mallikarachchi, C; Damruwan, H; Fernando, L; Herath, S
Space structures are often bent to extreme curvatures as they require to be stored in highly compacted configurations for launching. Thin woven fibre composites have emerged as a leading candidate as a material for design of deployable aerospace structures owing to their exceptional stiffness to weight ratio and tailorable material properties. It has been identified that there is a significant reduction of bending stiffness when these composites are subjected to high curvatures. Failure moments measured in experimental studies have shown that this reduction can be as high as 20%. To address this discrepancy, this study investigates the mechanisms contributing to this reduction in bending stiffness, focusing primarily on the complex effects of nonlinear geometry and variation in cohesive interaction leading to intertow slipping within the laminate.
A representative unit cell modelled in ABAQUS commercial finite element package, facilitated detailed investigation into the nonlinear geometric deformations and cohesive behavior between plies. The study focused on two-ply plain weave laminates made of T300-1k fibres and HexPly 913 resin. Nonlinear geometric effects arise predominantly from curvature-induced reductions in tow undulation amplitude and tow thickness. The results showed that reducing tow waviness or overall laminate thickness alone had a negligible influence on bendingstiffness reduction.
Cohesive interactions between plies were found to play a pivotal role. Surface-based cohesive contact models revealed that slipping between plies initiated at moderate curvatures (around 0.07 mm⁻¹) and intensified with increased curvature, leading to bending plies independently further reducing the stiffness. Comparison of the modelled moment-curvature response against experimental results showed a good agreement, confirming the critical influence of slipping of plies and negligible non-linear geometric effect on the bending performance of thin woven composites. Notably, cohesive slip occurred more prominently where transverse tows prevented sufficient stretching, highlighting the anisotropic nature of deformation within the laminates. The study concludes that the reduction of bending stiffness in thin woven fibre composites under high curvatures is mainly due to slip between the structural constituents. Future research is recommended to extend the current model by incorporating damage initiation and propagation in the resin phase to capture post-slipping behaviour more accurately. This research enhances the predictive capability for the design and analysis of deployable composite structures, offering vital new insights for aerospace applications where precise mechanical behaviour under extreme folding and deployment conditions is critical.