Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gai... more Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gaining importance with the drive towards a climate conscious construction industry. The current work aims at combining these two technologies toward developing an earthen slab system. A preliminary study was done to assess the viability of fabric formwork for mud-concrete casting and identify potential challenges in developing such a technology. A series of tests were done to identify the performance of commonly available grey fabric ('amu redi') with changing unsupported span lengths of fabric, thickness of overburden mud-concrete layers, and water content of the mud-concrete wet mix. The experimental work verified the viability of using commonly available fabric as formwork for typical mud concrete mixes. The study showed an upper bound on the thickness of the overburden mud concrete layer beyond which the influence on the fabric, measured as the maximum deflection, was negligible as arching effects transfers the loads laterally. A peak water content at which the maximum deflection of the fabric was the highest was observed. In addition, the use of fabric formwork was observed to give a smoother surface finish.
Creating buildings under the concept of environmental friendliness has become a very common scena... more Creating buildings under the concept of environmental friendliness has become a very common scenario in the current construction industry, due to many concerns in today’s world. Climate change, Global Warming Potential, high carbon emission, and utilization of natural resources are a few of those concerns. Green designs, eco designs, and zero carbon buildings have been developed as some solutions to the above issues. The most common feature in such buildings are green walls, vertical gardens, living walls etc. Adding the above features to green buildings automatically adds value to them in terms of reducing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, reducing Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), controlling indoor air quality, adding a pleasing natural environment and many more. There are many types of vertical gardening systems available in different regions of the world addressing their climatic and other country requirements. In Sri Lanka, the importance of such systems has already been identified, but there is a lack of practical applications. As a solution, an innovative vertical gardening system was started to be developed, which meet the needs of the country. Further, the system was developed to plant various vegetables and herbs, targeting the introduction of the system to the public as an edible gardening system. Evaluating the overall performance of the system based on environmental, social, and economic perspectives from the initial stage of research and development of the prototype is one of the targets. This paper presents the prototype edible vertical gardening system and the results of the systematic literature review conducted in order to analyze the societal impact of the innovative vertical gardening system.
2020 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), 2020
Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gai... more Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gaining importance with the drive towards a climate conscious construction industry. The current work aims at combining these two technologies toward developing an earthen slab system. A preliminary study was done to assess the viability of fabric formwork for mud-concrete casting and identify potential challenges in developing such a technology. A series of tests were done to identify the performance of commonly available grey fabric ('amu redi') with changing unsupported span lengths of fabric, thickness of overburden mud-concrete layers, and water content of the mud-concrete wet mix. The experimental work verified the viability of using commonly available fabric as formwork for typical mud concrete mixes. The study showed an upper bound on the thickness of the overburden mud concrete layer beyond which the influence on the fabric, measured as the maximum deflection, was negligible as arching effects transfers the loads laterally. A peak water content at which the maximum deflection of the fabric was the highest was observed. In addition, the use of fabric formwork was observed to give a smoother surface finish.
In an economy, innovation is well-thought-out as one of the important factors for development, gr... more In an economy, innovation is well-thought-out as one of the important factors for development, growth and competitiveness of a country. Environmental innovations defined as a modified processes, practices, systems and products profit the environment and contribute to environmental sustainability during its entire lifecycle. Vernacular timber construction practice in Sri Lanka is dealt with environmental innovations. Constructions were made based on the needs of the inhabitants with the available resources in the particular context. Societal transitions are highly complex processes that unfold over time-spans of decades as they overcome challenges in an experienced process. This study aims to conduct a field survey and collect maximum timber samples; to decode and emphasize the worth of the existing information. Heritage timber structures are perfect living samples comprehending a preserved living proof of material utilization survived in a tropical climate. As a preliminary step for an investigation, a microscopic observation was conducted. To further analysis Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy; a chemical microanalysis technique was used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Survey results and analytical examinations conveyed knowledge which is not yet decoded who had experienced in vernacular timber construction practice. But still there should be useful ideas to be taken from their solutions. Therefore, results discuss the necessity of decoding and scientifically proving the value of the existing vernacular practice in Sri Lanka that leads to another environmental innovation in future that navigate on societal transitions through evidenced knowledge.
When trees are planted too close to a building, the roots of them are causing damages to that bui... more When trees are planted too close to a building, the roots of them are causing damages to that building in both direct and indirect ways. In many cases, these subterranean problems go unnoticed, until cracks appear on surfaces. The remedial works for such cases can be always difficult and expensive. This research was carried out to identify the causes and effects of not using the safe planting distances and then it is extended with a detail survey to find safe distances using 5 categories of trees, which are most common in Sri Lanka. It was noted that the direct damages to civil structures are very common here in Sri Lanka. It was observed that the damage from Bodhi tree is much greater than other trees. Therefore, its’ safe planting distance is around 11 metres. Safe planting distances for Tamarind and Royal Poinciana are in a range between 6 to 7 metres. For Jack & Mango tree, it is about 4 to 5 metres. So these safe planting distances has presented numerically in this report.
Due to heavy industrialization that took place after the Industrial Revolution, per capita energy... more Due to heavy industrialization that took place after the Industrial Revolution, per capita energy consumption in the world has risen exponentially, depleting the planet’s limited energy deposits. As a result of most the modern technologies, unfavourable conditions on the environment are created. So, there is an urgent requirement to move towards the methods, which minimize the energy demand. Electricity demand in Sri Lanka is higher than its production and the usage of Air Conditioning is increasing day by day. Therefore, straw bale was identified as a feasible substitute to be used in addressing the increasing demand for A/C due to many reasons such as low initial cost, low conductivity and durability. Hence, studying on the long term performance of straw bale construction will be highly essential. On this regard, actual measurements were taken and were used to validate the computer simulations for straw bales and other walling materials to get the A/C demands for different cases. ...
Beneficiary participation is an important factor for donor funded projects. Since it gives many b... more Beneficiary participation is an important factor for donor funded projects. Since it gives many benefits and final product to the community, donors are always insisting the projects with beneficiary participation. However, for smooth execution of beneficiary participatory projects has to cross many hurdles for its successful completion. Identify those drawbacks and addressing them is necessary. The Raw data are collected through a questionnaire and analyse those according to the existing data from the donor funded executed project. The results show that there are many factors that affect the successful completion of beneficiary participatory projects. The findings have emphasis on more site visits by the management staff, budget to be suit to the site location and the conditions. Findings has extended to management staff travelling distances, vehicle allocations to staffs, payment procedure, meeting minutes to be distribute on time to site and also recommending to some team building...
2018 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), 2018
The aim of this study is to evaluate the thermal comfort state in residential buildings in Sri La... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the thermal comfort state in residential buildings in Sri Lanka and to study the possibility of getting them into the comfort zone without air conditioning. Located near the equator, Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with high temperature and relative humidity level. Therefore, the need of having a thermally comfortable living environment is a must in these conditions. A case study approach has been made in this study to evaluate the research problem. The selected 14 case study houses were optimized using Design-Builder, energy simulation software. The evaluation results highlight that the comfort level of the houses can be improved using mud concrete blocks as the external wall material and clay tiles as roofing. The optimisation results further indicate that thermal comfort level of the residential buildings in Sri Lanka can be achieved without using air conditioning if designed properly
Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gai... more Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gaining importance with the drive towards a climate conscious construction industry. The current work aims at combining these two technologies toward developing an earthen slab system. A preliminary study was done to assess the viability of fabric formwork for mud-concrete casting and identify potential challenges in developing such a technology. A series of tests were done to identify the performance of commonly available grey fabric ('amu redi') with changing unsupported span lengths of fabric, thickness of overburden mud-concrete layers, and water content of the mud-concrete wet mix. The experimental work verified the viability of using commonly available fabric as formwork for typical mud concrete mixes. The study showed an upper bound on the thickness of the overburden mud concrete layer beyond which the influence on the fabric, measured as the maximum deflection, was negligible as arching effects transfers the loads laterally. A peak water content at which the maximum deflection of the fabric was the highest was observed. In addition, the use of fabric formwork was observed to give a smoother surface finish.
Creating buildings under the concept of environmental friendliness has become a very common scena... more Creating buildings under the concept of environmental friendliness has become a very common scenario in the current construction industry, due to many concerns in today’s world. Climate change, Global Warming Potential, high carbon emission, and utilization of natural resources are a few of those concerns. Green designs, eco designs, and zero carbon buildings have been developed as some solutions to the above issues. The most common feature in such buildings are green walls, vertical gardens, living walls etc. Adding the above features to green buildings automatically adds value to them in terms of reducing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, reducing Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), controlling indoor air quality, adding a pleasing natural environment and many more. There are many types of vertical gardening systems available in different regions of the world addressing their climatic and other country requirements. In Sri Lanka, the importance of such systems has already been identified, but there is a lack of practical applications. As a solution, an innovative vertical gardening system was started to be developed, which meet the needs of the country. Further, the system was developed to plant various vegetables and herbs, targeting the introduction of the system to the public as an edible gardening system. Evaluating the overall performance of the system based on environmental, social, and economic perspectives from the initial stage of research and development of the prototype is one of the targets. This paper presents the prototype edible vertical gardening system and the results of the systematic literature review conducted in order to analyze the societal impact of the innovative vertical gardening system.
2020 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), 2020
Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gai... more Mud concrete and fabric formwork are existing technologies in construction industry which are gaining importance with the drive towards a climate conscious construction industry. The current work aims at combining these two technologies toward developing an earthen slab system. A preliminary study was done to assess the viability of fabric formwork for mud-concrete casting and identify potential challenges in developing such a technology. A series of tests were done to identify the performance of commonly available grey fabric ('amu redi') with changing unsupported span lengths of fabric, thickness of overburden mud-concrete layers, and water content of the mud-concrete wet mix. The experimental work verified the viability of using commonly available fabric as formwork for typical mud concrete mixes. The study showed an upper bound on the thickness of the overburden mud concrete layer beyond which the influence on the fabric, measured as the maximum deflection, was negligible as arching effects transfers the loads laterally. A peak water content at which the maximum deflection of the fabric was the highest was observed. In addition, the use of fabric formwork was observed to give a smoother surface finish.
In an economy, innovation is well-thought-out as one of the important factors for development, gr... more In an economy, innovation is well-thought-out as one of the important factors for development, growth and competitiveness of a country. Environmental innovations defined as a modified processes, practices, systems and products profit the environment and contribute to environmental sustainability during its entire lifecycle. Vernacular timber construction practice in Sri Lanka is dealt with environmental innovations. Constructions were made based on the needs of the inhabitants with the available resources in the particular context. Societal transitions are highly complex processes that unfold over time-spans of decades as they overcome challenges in an experienced process. This study aims to conduct a field survey and collect maximum timber samples; to decode and emphasize the worth of the existing information. Heritage timber structures are perfect living samples comprehending a preserved living proof of material utilization survived in a tropical climate. As a preliminary step for an investigation, a microscopic observation was conducted. To further analysis Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy; a chemical microanalysis technique was used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Survey results and analytical examinations conveyed knowledge which is not yet decoded who had experienced in vernacular timber construction practice. But still there should be useful ideas to be taken from their solutions. Therefore, results discuss the necessity of decoding and scientifically proving the value of the existing vernacular practice in Sri Lanka that leads to another environmental innovation in future that navigate on societal transitions through evidenced knowledge.
When trees are planted too close to a building, the roots of them are causing damages to that bui... more When trees are planted too close to a building, the roots of them are causing damages to that building in both direct and indirect ways. In many cases, these subterranean problems go unnoticed, until cracks appear on surfaces. The remedial works for such cases can be always difficult and expensive. This research was carried out to identify the causes and effects of not using the safe planting distances and then it is extended with a detail survey to find safe distances using 5 categories of trees, which are most common in Sri Lanka. It was noted that the direct damages to civil structures are very common here in Sri Lanka. It was observed that the damage from Bodhi tree is much greater than other trees. Therefore, its’ safe planting distance is around 11 metres. Safe planting distances for Tamarind and Royal Poinciana are in a range between 6 to 7 metres. For Jack & Mango tree, it is about 4 to 5 metres. So these safe planting distances has presented numerically in this report.
Due to heavy industrialization that took place after the Industrial Revolution, per capita energy... more Due to heavy industrialization that took place after the Industrial Revolution, per capita energy consumption in the world has risen exponentially, depleting the planet’s limited energy deposits. As a result of most the modern technologies, unfavourable conditions on the environment are created. So, there is an urgent requirement to move towards the methods, which minimize the energy demand. Electricity demand in Sri Lanka is higher than its production and the usage of Air Conditioning is increasing day by day. Therefore, straw bale was identified as a feasible substitute to be used in addressing the increasing demand for A/C due to many reasons such as low initial cost, low conductivity and durability. Hence, studying on the long term performance of straw bale construction will be highly essential. On this regard, actual measurements were taken and were used to validate the computer simulations for straw bales and other walling materials to get the A/C demands for different cases. ...
Beneficiary participation is an important factor for donor funded projects. Since it gives many b... more Beneficiary participation is an important factor for donor funded projects. Since it gives many benefits and final product to the community, donors are always insisting the projects with beneficiary participation. However, for smooth execution of beneficiary participatory projects has to cross many hurdles for its successful completion. Identify those drawbacks and addressing them is necessary. The Raw data are collected through a questionnaire and analyse those according to the existing data from the donor funded executed project. The results show that there are many factors that affect the successful completion of beneficiary participatory projects. The findings have emphasis on more site visits by the management staff, budget to be suit to the site location and the conditions. Findings has extended to management staff travelling distances, vehicle allocations to staffs, payment procedure, meeting minutes to be distribute on time to site and also recommending to some team building...
2018 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), 2018
The aim of this study is to evaluate the thermal comfort state in residential buildings in Sri La... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the thermal comfort state in residential buildings in Sri Lanka and to study the possibility of getting them into the comfort zone without air conditioning. Located near the equator, Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with high temperature and relative humidity level. Therefore, the need of having a thermally comfortable living environment is a must in these conditions. A case study approach has been made in this study to evaluate the research problem. The selected 14 case study houses were optimized using Design-Builder, energy simulation software. The evaluation results highlight that the comfort level of the houses can be improved using mud concrete blocks as the external wall material and clay tiles as roofing. The optimisation results further indicate that thermal comfort level of the residential buildings in Sri Lanka can be achieved without using air conditioning if designed properly
Cement is one of the key stabilizers for earth constructions since Roman civilization. The invent... more Cement is one of the key stabilizers for earth constructions since Roman civilization. The invention of cement was one step in the human civilization. However, cement has many issues especially when it comes to the environmental conservation. The production of cement creates a lot of carbon dioxide and destroys the natural setting to some extent due to the high consumption of clay and lime. Therefore, this study was conducted to alter the cement in mud concrete block. The study started with an inventory of alternative stabilizers that can be found in nature as well as in the human production. And then, the chemical patterns of those stabilizers were carefully identified to alter the typical Portland cement. Several mix proportions were tested and developed to alter the cement and found that the following materials can be developed to alter cement. A natural stabilizer such as tree resins, latex rubber stabilizer, waste ash, rice husk ash and many other ashes can be developed to chemically stabilize the earth blocks. However, out of the invented stabilizers, fly ash and rice husk ash have the high potential to replace cement.
Session IV -Green Technologies and Solutions (224)
Calculating embodied energy of a construction material is a wholistic method of measuring the env... more Calculating embodied energy of a construction material is a wholistic method of measuring the environmental sustainability factor because by reducing embodied energy can mitigate the environmental pollution. Along resolution, the embodied energy is the amount of all the energy devoured while manufacturing transporting constructing and maintaining specific product. Sri Lanka is using brick and cement block as main walling material. Brick walling materials use 1,5541 MJ of energy per 100 ft 2 and cement block using 1,1542.9 MJ per 100 ft 2. In this study, the embedded energy of brick and other mostly available walling materials such as cement blocks, wattle and daub, mud concrete block, rammed earth wooden planks and steel sheets were accounted and compared according to the origin of energy consumption. The processes of walling material were carefully studied and analyze to calculate embodied energy. One 100 ft 2 square (10x10 ft) was used to measure and compare the embodied energy content. Then overall rank was given considering the embedded energy cost and usability factor. According to the collected data, the most industrious walling materials such as brick and cement blocks consuming large amount of energy in the manufacturing process. Wattle and daub is the obvious eco-friendly walling material. Since the study compare walling material, overall soil blocks made of cement and soil (altering wattle and daub) shows best results with minimum embedded energy and yet provide essential strength to support the structure. Notwithstanding, replacing brick and cement block with alter walling material would save millions of trees.
INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY AND ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM, 2016
Calculating embodied energy of a construction material is a wholistic method of measuring the env... more Calculating embodied energy of a construction material is a wholistic method of measuring the environmental sustainability factor because by reducing embodied energy can mitigate the environmental pollution. Along resolution, the embodied energy is the amount of all the energy devoured while manufacturing transporting constructing and maintaining specific product. Sri Lanka is using brick and cement block as main walling material. Brick walling materials use 1,5541 MJ of energy per 100 ft2 and cement block using 1,1542.9 MJ per 100 ft2. In this study, the embedded energy of brick and other mostly available walling materials such as cement blocks, wattle and daub, mud concrete block, rammed earth wooden planks and steel sheets were accounted and compared according to the origin of energy consumption. The processes of walling material were carefully studied and analyze to calculate embodied energy. One 100 ft2 square (10x10 ft) was used to measure and compare the embodied energy content. Then overall rank was given considering the embedded energy cost and usability factor. According to the collected data, the most industrious walling materials such as brick and cement blocks consuming large amount of energy in the manufacturing process. Wattle and daub is the obvious eco-friendly walling material. Since the study compare walling material, overall soil blocks made of cement and soil (altering wattle and daub) shows best results with minimum embedded energy and yet provide essential strength to support the structure. Notwithstanding, replacing brick and cement block with alter walling material would save millions of trees.
Natural polymers have been tested for soil stabilization since prehistoric age. This study evalua... more Natural polymers have been tested for soil stabilization since prehistoric age. This study evaluated the behavior of seven natural polymers as earth stabilizer. Seven polymers were selected from Sri Lankan vernacular polymer technologies. Natural Polymers were extracted from plants and trees. And then mix designs were developed by mixing soil and natural polymers (5{\%},10{\%}, 15{\%} and 20{\%}) by the dry weight. Compressive strength was subjected to understand the initial performance of each natural polymer. And the series of performance tests were conducted to understand the engineering and mechanical performances. The initial experiment shows only three natural polymers are suitable for stabilizing earth blocks such as pines resin, dawul kurudu, and sugarcane bagasse. And then different soil mix design experiment shows that natural polymers are good at gaining strength when soil particles are smaller (15{\%} gravel sieve size 4.25mm - 20mm, 80{\%} sand sieve size 0.425mm - 4.25 mm, and 5{\%} fine sieve size below 0.425mm). Maximum compressive strength with pines latex was given as 2.65 N/mm2. It reached the construction material required the dry strength of 2 N/mm2 and wet strength of 1 N/mm2. Further studies should be conducted to understand the bond development and e values of selected polymer stabilized earth blocks.
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According to the collected data, the most industrious walling materials such as brick and cement blocks consuming large amount of energy in the manufacturing process. Wattle and daub is the obvious eco-friendly walling material. Since the study compare walling material, overall soil blocks made of cement and soil (altering wattle and daub) shows best results with minimum embedded energy and yet provide essential strength to support the structure. Notwithstanding, replacing brick and cement block with alter walling material would save millions of trees.