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: Conference-Full-text
Integration of post occupancy evaluation into government office buildings to enhance user satisfaction
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Subhasingha HD; Disaratna PAPVDS; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Shortcomings in project delivery in government office buildings lead to occupant dissatisfaction. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) presents a valuable yet underutilised approach in government office buildings, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the integration of POE into government office buildings to enhance user satisfaction in Sri Lanka. Qualitative research choice was adopted, comprising a phase of semi-structured interviews with 16 experts from the industry. Empirical data were analysed using manual content analysis. The findings indicate that user satisfaction in Sri Lankan government office buildings is influenced by a context-specific combination of factors, with thermal comfort remaining consistently important while accessibility and building design emerged as particularly relevant considerations affecting the user satisfaction of government office buildings. The findings provide practical, context-sensitive guidance for developing countries to enhance the performance and user satisfaction of government office buildings, supporting more informed, evidence-based design and management decisions.
item: Thesis-Abstract
Influence of cavity fires on cold formed steel modular construction systems
(2026) Godakandage, RLP; Gamage, JCPH; Weerasinghe, TGPL; Nguyen, K; Mendis, P
Fire safety challenges associated with continuous intermodular cavities have raised concerns about fire/heat and smoke spread in modular buildings. However, their interaction with steel modular buildings remains unexplored, contributing to uncertainty in fire safety design. Therefore, this research investigates the influence of cavity fire on fire safety and structural response of cold-formed steel (CFS) columns in modular buildings through experimental testing and validated numerical simulations. Results highlighted that even narrow, non-combustible cavity widths of 25–50 mm compromise upper-level safety, enabling vertical flame to spread up to 9 times and smoke spread up to twice that of non-cavity fires. Structural analysis demonstrated that such cavity fire exposure causes complex column behaviour, including restrained thermal expansion, thermal bowing, and buckling, contributing to reducing the axial load capacity by 2.4% to 35%. The observed failure modalities included global-local buckling interaction and local buckling. The quantified axial load increment due to restrained thermal expansion further revealed the requirement to consider additional service loads of 52% at intermodular connections and the column. Cavity widths of 25–50 mm were identified as the most vulnerable for fire resistance, with unprotected columns often failing to meet the 60 – 120 minute fire resistance requirements. Fire resistance improvement strategies were evaluated in terms of both performance and spatial efficiency. For cavity fire intensities up to 30 kW, reducing cavity width was found to be effective, while intensities between 30 – 60 kW necessitate plasterboard protection. In conclusion, this research demonstrates the critical impact of narrow intermodular cavities on the fire safety of steel modular buildings. The presented insights on critical cavity width, fire resistance levels and critical temperature levels contribute to advancing fire safety standards and practices for steel modular buildings.
item: Conference-Full-text
International students’ decision-making and learning experience in construction management coursework master’s degree
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Oo, BL; Li, R; Lim, BTH; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Coursework master’s degree programs are rapidly growing and there are growing cohorts of international students in these programs globally. This study focuses on international students enrolled in three construction management related coursework master’s degree programs in an Australian university. The research aims: (i) to examine factors influencing the students’ decision in pursuing their coursework master’s degree; and (ii) to explore the challenges they have encountered while abroad. Data was collected using an anonymous online structured survey questionnaire. The results show that the detected heterogeneity in the respondents’ responses is dependent on the respondents’ country-of-origin to a greater extent than their gender. The key factors affecting their decision-making are global reputation and university ranking, and career advancement opportunities; and the key challenges are lack of access to student housing or accommodation and limited job opportunities for international students. The findings reinforce the importance of providing employability and career advancement support and academic and social support services in tertiary institutes’ strategic international student marketing, recruitment and retention agendas.
item: Conference-Full-text
Iron slag substitution in soil-based geopolymers: a comparative study with coal fly ash for non-load bearing applications
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Piyasena, RKNP; Farha, MFF; Hewage, IS; Young, SM; Halwatura, RU; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
The production of traditional Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) drives significant greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating a shift toward sustainable, low-carbon building materials. This study investigates the development of geopolymerized mud concrete (GMC) by valorizing two industrial by-products—coal fly ash (CFA) and iron slag (IS)—as primary aluminosilicate precursors. The research aimed to establish baseline parameters for a reference CFA-based GMC, optimize an IS-substituted alternative, and evaluate its comparative feasibility. Microstructural characterization confirmed both materials possess essential glass-forming oxides. While CFA relies on abundant silica and alumina to develop robust aluminosilicate networks, IS drives binder formation through complex Fe-A-S-H and C-A-S-H gels. Utilizing an alkaline activator comprising 10M sodium hydroxide and 2% sodium chloride, the methodology was included in two phases. First, optimal thermal curing conditions were established for the 20% CFA reference. Subsequently, to maximize mechanical performance, IS substitution levels (10% to 40%), curing temperatures (ambient to 100 °C), and durations (6 to 24 hours) were systematically optimized through 7-, 14-, and 28-day compressive strength testing. The benchmark CFA mix (cured at 100 °C for 6 hours) achieved a peak 28-day compressive strength of 3.241 MPa. Conversely, the optimized IS matrix (30% IS, cured at 60 °C for 24 hours) attained 1.601 MPa. Although yielding approximately 49% of the CFA baseline capacity, the 1.601 MPa IS-based geopolymer satisfies requirements for non-load-bearing masonry. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that IS is a resilient, low-cost, and eco-friendly precursor alternative that advances circular economy principles, particularly in regions lacking accessible CFA reserves.
item: Conference-Full-text
Key issues and root causes in pre-project property selling: a comparative analysis between Indonesia and Malaysia
(Department of Building Economics, 2026) Hansen, S; Shaqman, N; Darmiyanti, L; Waidyasekara, KGAS; Jayasena, HS; Chandanie, H; Tennakoon, GA
Owning a home, whether a landed house or an apartment, is a dream for many people. Property sales continue to increase every year in line with community needs. One strategy used by property developers is pre-project marketing, in which properties are sold before completion or even before construction begins. Although it offers more competitive property prices, this practice poses various risks and challenges, making it an interesting topic to study. This study aims to investigate the key issues and root causes of recurring pre-project property-selling disputes in Indonesia and Malaysia. Using a comparative case study approach, this study identified seven key issues: abandoned/delayed projects, failed/late unit handovers, consumer financial losses, legal/licensing issues, developer bankruptcy/crisis, weak consumer protection, and government intervention. In addition, this study identified seven root causes: weak project governance, fragile financing structure, risky pre-project sales scheme, weak regulation and oversight, conflicts of interest/ethics, lack of an early warning system, and dependence on the government. The results of this study highlight the social dimension of sustainable housing, focusing on strengthening the property sector and regulatory reforms that protect consumers in both countries.