Conference Presentations by W. Nethmi Kawmudi
International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment – (ICSBE), 2023
Increasing green construction adoption is at the forefront of the global building industry as soc... more Increasing green construction adoption is at the forefront of the global building industry as society pushes towards greater sustainability. Green building has risen to the top of the priority list for the construction sector as the globe advances towards greater sustainability. While Sri Lanka is now experiencing an energy and economic crisis, green building ideas can support the economy by advancing the building industry. If Sri Lanka adopts the green building concept within the next 30 or 40 years, it might be able to transform revenue-generating prospects in the construction industry. People only take into consideration the construction's initial cost, not the total cost over the course of its whole life. It is preferable to consider a building's Life Cycle Cost (LCC), which includes cost parameters for maintenance, operational and services cost parameters. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to identify the factor that has the most impact on LCC in a green building and to provide solutions to reduce that factor's impact to further reduce LCC. The necessary authorities were surveyed using a questionnaire and interviewed online, allowing for a full analysis of the study. This uses both quantitative and qualitative analysis to validate findings and offer suggestions based on opinions from many parties in the building industry. The services cost was the cost data for LCC that is most affected, according to the studies. Further, this study made suggestions for reducing expenses in sustainable building to ultimately lower LCC. This research study will be relevant for Sri Lanka to address the current economic crises by taking monetary account of the green construction idea.
International Conference on Innovation and Emerging Technologies (ICIET) , 2023
The construction industry demands working in a risk and confronting businesses background with dy... more The construction industry demands working in a risk and confronting businesses background with dynamic behaviors. In construction projects time, cost and quality are the main points which are independent but interrelated. The project studies showed that there were many reported examples of not accomplishing the targeted time, calculated cost, and quality parameters due to the absence of proper risk assessments in the construction sector. It was confirmed through literature that there is still an extensive gap between theory and practice regarding construction risk handling protocols. Thus, this paper aims to identify the factors effect on construction project risk based on the time, cost, and quality parameters in Sri Lankan construction industry. This research was evaluated through interviews (purposive sampling) and detailed questionnaire survey which circulated was 80 (chosen by stratified random sampling), and the response rate was 82% including industry experts which is outstanding and added an optimistic mark on the research study. The Frequency Index (FI) method and content method were used to analyze the gathered data. The findings revealed that high competition in bids increase the selection time of the potential contractor (Time related FI = 0.738), unavailability of funds on Client (Cost related FI = 0.794) and defective construction work from poor workmanship cause rework (Quality related FI = 0.572) are the main risk cause events in the current construction approach. It is recommended to have proper risk management protocols at the pre contract stage of the construction projects to maximize the effective outcomes of the work with less risk. While this research focused on risk management, in future cannister establish a Quality Management Policy, as a unique feature for the construction sector.
Symposium for International Building Economics & Research (SIBER), Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS-UAE), 2023
The Construction Industry is becoming more circular by decreasing waste, reusing construction mat... more The Construction Industry is becoming more circular by decreasing waste, reusing construction materials, and embracing regenerative energy generation and biodiversity conservation solutions for energy generation and biodiversity conservation. The effects of circularity on building operations are complex, needing a thorough examination of the implications before deciding on the best course of action. Deconstruction is the methodical demolition of a structure to enable the recovery of its building materials and components, hence encouraging their reuse and recycling at the End-of-life of a building. Deconstruction, meanwhile, is still an uncommon practice in Sri Lanka. However, as a developing country, this deconstruction technique could be a potential solution to minimize the amount of waste transported to landfills. By promoting local economic development, providing employment, and training possibilities, and saving natural resources by diverting materials from landfills, deconstruction can greatly reduce the national solid waste burden placed on the environment by the Construction Industry.
Symposium for International Building Economics & Research (SIBER), Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS-UAE), 2023
Global environmental pollution issues are currently posing serious challenges as a result of the ... more Global environmental pollution issues are currently posing serious challenges as a result of the substantial development that is taking place. By being energy and environmentally mindful and protecting the environment for future generations, the concept of "Green Building" aims to address these issues. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is that adopting the idea of a green commercial building is feasible when considering construction costs from the viewpoint of investors. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were combined to collect data. Through SPSS software the data analyzed to ascertain the relationship between construction project's green concept and cost impact how investors would react to green building initiatives in Sri Lanka's construction industry. Results showed that green building initiatives have a financial influence on Sri Lanka's construction sector, and that impact is notably positive from the investor's point of view. The primary challenges identified from questionnaire surveys and semistructured interviews as financial issues and a lack of professional technology and skill expertise in green efforts. The answers provided suggest increasing the project's collaboration with green consulting professionals and utilizing more environmentally friendly construction techniques. The stages from implementation to operation and maintenance are the focus of this study. However, because the planning process is considered, this study can be carried out in accordance with the stages of the RIBA plan of work. The key suggestions were that more awareness campaigns be conducted to disseminate the idea more extensively across the country. Experts advocate employing cost-cutting measures throughout the construction phase.
Symposium for International Building Economics & Research (SIBER), Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS-UAE), 2023
Infrastructure becomes a pillar of growth, providing a paradigm-shifting platform for economic ex... more Infrastructure becomes a pillar of growth, providing a paradigm-shifting platform for economic expansion, the eradication of poverty, and the advancement of society. Ancient civilizations, colonial powers, and cross-cultural encounters have all left their marks on Sri Lanka's history. The marginalized communities are those communities that are eliminated from conventional social, economic, educational, and cultural life due to their social and class restrictions. In every nation, these communities have faced stigmatization through social burdens. Most marginalized communities suffer due to a lack of proper infrastructure for their socioeconomic growth. If the government is able to provide with necessary infrastructure facilities it will lead to equity among society and have a positive impact on economic growth, which is indeed a vital requirement for a developing country like Sri Lanka. With that, the main aim of the study originated to identify strategies to implement inclusive infrastructure to endorse equity and economic growth of marginalized communities in Sri Lanka. The study took a qualitative approach with data gathered during the month of May-August 2023 & examined with content analysis. The main strategies for infrastructure development were found to enhance partnerships between the public sector, NGOs, and the private sector and integrate structured investment in largescale developments. The recommendations were based on economic & equity growth following influencing urban hazards management with proactive decision-making with a desirable value for marginalized communities & improving policy parameters covering both micro & macro-level economic paradigms. While this study focuses on the identification of strategies for inclusive infrastructure future research studies can be done to scrutinize the existing policies related to infrastructure development within the country and identify barriers that hinder the implementation of legislative frames.
16th International Research Conference (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
The concept of Value Management (VM) is a tool using for maximizing the value, it is becoming mor... more The concept of Value Management (VM) is a tool using for maximizing the value, it is becoming more appropriate to construction industry of Sri Lanka. The VM will help to reduce cost which help the Sri Lankan construction industry. This research goals to address obstacles to the implementation of VM in the construction industry of Sri Lanka with a view to providing conceivable measures in avoiding these difficulties and increasing the usage of the system within the construction industry. The level of knowledge and implementation of VM practices, as well as the barriers to its implementation in the construction industry were evaluated by using of a questioner survey strategy and interviews. Construction specialists were selected by means of stratified random sampling. The data was analyzed using frequency index analysis. The study reveals that the topmost challenge to implement VM as, the minimal level of knowledge of VM between construction professionals. There for flow of knowledge must be given from the undergraduate level to the senior professionals. Avoiding these barriers in order towards accomplish enhanced quality construction industry practice, it was recommended that the importance of introduce course modules relates to VM at the academic level. Further this research will benefit in study in implementing a model for VM/VE for the Sri Lankan construction context.
16th International Research Conference (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
Green Building Information Modelling (Green BIM) is a novel approach to address the ever-growing ... more Green Building Information Modelling (Green BIM) is a novel approach to address the ever-growing need for sustainability in the built environment. It offers a more standardized way to create buildings, which in turn optimizes building performance while meeting green building requirements. However, BIM adoption still faces significant barriers, despite the fact that it could improve the efficiency of sustainable building projects. Hence, this study aims to determine the advantages of using Green BIM, as well as implementation barriers of BIM for Green Building construction in Sri Lanka. Mixed approach was followed in carrying out the study. A questionnaire was developed based on identified barriers from the literature review, to determine the most significant barriers. Identified barriers were analyzed using RII method. Semi structured interviews were also carried out to determine the significance of adopting BIM for Green Building construction. A content analysis was conducted for the qualitative data obtained through semi structured interview and RII (Relative Importance Index) analysis was carried out for quantitative data. Analysis of the responses demonstrated that " Not receiving enough client support and government support," followed by "Inadequate vision of BIM benefits" and "Lack of well-developed practical strategies for implementing Green BIM" were the most significant barriers. The study also presented possible solutions for Green BIM implementation barriers. Further, the study recommends some actions that the Government and educational institutes should take to overcome barriers in implementing Green BIM and is needed to identify to mandate BIM and to develop strategies in mitigating barriers of Green BIM implantation.
16th International Research Conference (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
As the world moves toward more sustainability, Increasing the adoption of green construction has ... more As the world moves toward more sustainability, Increasing the adoption of green construction has risen to the top of the construction sector in worldwide. Green building is a key strategic step towards achieving sustainable development by saving resources, energy, and environment. As the world moves to greater sustainability, green building has gone to the construction industry's priority list. While currently Sri Lanka is facing an economic and energy crisis, the green building concepts can help the economy by boosting the construction sector. If the implement process of green building concept in Sri Lanka, within the next 30 or 40 years, it may be capable of converting revenue generating opportunities on construction sector. People only consider the construction's initial cost rather than the total cost over its entire life cycle. When it comes to construction time span, it's near to 3 to 4 years, while the total life span of a building counts over 60 to 70 years. It's better to consider the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of a building which consists of maintenance, overhaul, services, and repair cost parameters. Thus, the primary goal of this study is to analyses the cost of a green building and a non-green building in Sri Lanka. A case study was done on two selected university buildings. A cost benefit analysis would be carried out, accounting for the initial cost in comparison to LCC. Site visits & semi structured interviews which selected by purposive sampling used for the data collection. This was done with mix method of qualitative & quantitative, analysed through comprehensive study. With the aim of economic consideration of green building concept, this will be a timely research study to Sri Lanka to overcome this emerged economic & energy crisis.
16th International Research Conference (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
Large rate of delay in project delivery is a major criticism faced by the Sri Lankan construction... more Large rate of delay in project delivery is a major criticism faced by the Sri Lankan construction industry. Most of the responsibility for construction delays lies with the Contractor. Currently available delay mitigation strategies are not efficacious to mitigate delays attributable to Contractors. The goal of the Lean Construction approach is to increase project value by reducing waste and enhancing project performance. Utilizing Lean Construction Tools guarantees that a project is finished on time and within budget. This paper aims to identify the impact of Lean Construction Tools (5S, Last Planner System, Visual Management, First Run Studies) on reduction of Contractor related causes of delay. This was met by utilizing a mixed research methodology, which includes both the gathering of quantitative data through a questionnaire survey held among 40 professionals and the gathering of qualitative data by conducting semi-structured interviews with 8 construction industry specialists. SPSS software was used to analyze data collected from the questionnaire survey and content analysis was used to examine data obtained from the semistructured interviews. The results revealed that implementation of Lean Construction Tools can lead to reduction of Contractor related causes of delay. Further it was disclosed that 5S is the Lean Tool that has the highest impact on reduction of Contractor related delays. Findings have also revealed that lack of awareness about Lean Construction is the most critical challenge for successful implementation of Lean Construction Tools within Sri Lanka. The results depicts that in order to overcome this barrier awareness on Lean Construction must be enhanced among construction industry professionals.
National Conference on Center for Disaster Management Research (CDMR) (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
National Conference on Center for Disaster Management Research (CDMR) (2023), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
Student Research Symposium, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka., 2023
15th International Research Conference, 2022
Constructions are undergoing with an unfavorable situation with their cost overruns due to the de... more Constructions are undergoing with an unfavorable situation with their cost overruns due to the delay issues and are exposed into the risk because of the inappropriate identification and minimizing of the factors. Fulfilling this gap, the research has been undergone to analyz factors affecting the delay in building construction projects in Sri Lanka; through the interaction of the project team with an adequate understanding on the practical solutions for minimizing. The study has used a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative techniques for the identification of factors, review of literature was undergone. To assess the factors affecting for delays, questionnaire was distributed among 40 professionals in Sri Lanka and with the analysis under the Relative Important Index (RII) and it was identified that client related factors, contractor related factors, consultant related factors and other related factors and assessment of the factors affecting to the building construction industry. The significant factors of building construction delays were identified as poor communication and coordination, delay in obtaining approvals from government regulated bodies and delays in subcontractor activities, inexpedient scheduling and project planning, inefficient contractor work and unexpected subsurface conditions and unforeseen circumstance. The study identified that contractor related category had the highest affect to the delays of construction industry in Sri Lanka. To identify the practical solutions for minimizing, interviews were conducted by selecting 10 professionals with more than 10 years of experience as the sample. Concerning more on the effective performance of the key stakeholders under a better management system is recommended in minimizing the arising delay problems which will help to ameliorate the performance of the industry.
14th International Research Conference - General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, 2021
Construction Industry plays a major part in the development of a country. Cost is a basic criteri... more Construction Industry plays a major part in the development of a country. Cost is a basic criterion which measures the success of a project. Though the cost reduction methods available in the industry, cost overrun has been severely hit down the status of the Sri Lankan construction industry. Thus this paper aims to identify the impact of cost reduction methods which currently used over cost overrun, on the identified management approaches in the Sri Lankan construction industry. This research was assessed through detailed questionnaire survey and interviews. The number of distributed questionnaires were 60 and the response rate was 88% which added a positive mark on the research study. Correlation & regression analysis done with the use of SPSS software to analyse the collected data. The interviewed questions were assessed through the content analysis. The findings highlighted that there is a positive relationship with cost reduction & those identified management approaches (pre contract, post contract, human resource, material & change management). It's recommended to change the cost mitigation measures from traditional methods to new methods suggesting as sustainable construction & value management strategies. More over the implementation issues of this methods identified & suggestions were made as make proper project planning with the use of actual project data & software skills. While this research focused on finding the impact of cost reduction methods, in future can developed researches to categorize the modern techniques to reduce the cost and time overruns in construction projects.
13th International Research Conference - General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic which spreading all over the world which ruining live... more Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic which spreading all over the world which ruining lives of hundreds of people & effect negatively on business matters over the world. This can trigger different kinds of challenges to all the industries while affecting world economy. Thus this paper aims to identify the challenges imposed by COVID-19 pandemic on Sri Lankan construction projects. This research was assessed through detailed questionnaire survey and interviews. The number of distributed questionnaires were 50 and the response rate was 82% which added a positive mark on the research study. Frequency index method & content analysis were used to analyse the collected data. The findings highlighted the main challenges among construction industry due to coronavirus as delay of completion, issues with supply chain management & change the public perception on site. It is recommended to spend the period of working from home fruitfully & to start the site works stage wise with the involvement of less number of labours at the beginning stage. While this research focused on the challenges, further study can be done to investigate about the renaissance & the industry predictions of the construction sector for post COVID-19 world.
Annual Technical session - Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL), 2020
Cost is a basic criterion which measures the success of a project. Projects rarely meet the pre-e... more Cost is a basic criterion which measures the success of a project. Projects rarely meet the pre-estimated budget. Cost overrun has been severely hit down the status of the Sri Lankan construction industry. Thus this paper aims to identify the significant factors influencing cost overruns in construction projects of Sri Lanka. This research was assessed through detailed questionnaire survey and interviews. The number of distributed questionnaires were 60 and the response rate was 88% which added a positive mark on the research study. Relative index methods and content analysis were used to analyse the collected data. The findings highlighted the main causes for cost overruns as poor preliminary estimations, variations and delay of completion. It is recommended to have adequate contingency plans and modern cost reduction techniques in practice. While this research focused on the causes of cost overruns on private sector projects, in future can developed researches to categorize the modern techniques to reduce the cost and time overruns in construction projects.
10th International Research Conference - General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, 2017
Today, the world is facing major issues in terms of environmental pollution, depleting of natural... more Today, the world is facing major issues in terms of environmental pollution, depleting of natural resources & energy crisis due to the vast development that is taking place. Green Building is a concept that intends to address these issues being eco-friendly, energy efficient while sustaining natural resources for the future generation. In keeping with the global trend of using this green building concept as a solution to overcome these problems, Sri Lankan construction industry also has adopted this concept to some extent with certain drawbacks in its implementation. This study thus seeks to examine the research question as to how far the construction cost factor incurred when adopting the green building concept affects its smooth implementation. The research is being carried on the hypothesis that the initial cost which has to be invested when adopting the cost is the major issue that discourages the “Green Building Concept” in Sri Lanka. Data for this study would be collected from questioners, site visits, on site observations of the completed & ongoing projects which have adopted the Green Building concept. In addition, structured and semi structured interviews will be conducted with the relevant Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and other primary and secondary stakeholders. The ultimate objective of the study is to evaluate the link between the cost factor and the Green Building concept while attempting to investigate the other drawbacks in its implementation and to suggest a suitable frame work to adapt Green Building concept, cost effectively to the Sri Lankan construction industry.
Books by W. Nethmi Kawmudi
Journal of Advances in Engineering, 2022
Cost is a basic criterion that measures the success of a construction project. Projects rarely me... more Cost is a basic criterion that measures the success of a construction project. Projects rarely meet the pre-estimated budget. There are many techniques available in current practices to control the cost of a project. However, still there is poor cost performance in the construction industry. Thus, this paper aims to identify the modern cost reduction techniques for construction projects in Sri Lanka. This research was assessed through a detailed questionnaire survey & interview. The respondent rate was 88% including industry professionals. The industry experts suggested a broad range of solutions based on their experience with the cost of a project. The effectiveness index analysis method & content analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The findings are expected to bridge the gap in the current cost control practices by implementing modern techniques which are found as selecting appropriate value management approaches, implementing modern construction technologies, risk management & sustainable construction. It was recommended to have construction risk assessments, continuous training programs on project cost control & introduce a course module regarding modern cost reduction techniques for construction projects at the academic level. While this research focused on the cost control of private sector projects, in the future can develop research to validate the conclusion of this study considering the public sector projects & to categorize the modern techniques to reduce the time overruns in construction projects.
Papers by W. Nethmi Kawmudi
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic which spreading all over the world which ruining live... more Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic which spreading all over the world which ruining lives of hundreds of people & effect negatively on business matters over the world. This can trigger different kinds of challenges to all the industries while affecting world economy. Thus this paper aims to identify the challenges imposed by COVID-19 pandemic on Sri Lankan construction projects. This research was assessed through detailed questionnaire survey and interviews. The number of distributed questionnaires were 50 and the response rate was 82% which added a positive mark on the research study. Frequency index method & content analysis were used to analyse the collected data. The findings highlighted the main challenges among construction industry due to coronavirus as delay of completion, issues with supply chain management & change the public perception on site. It is recommended to spend the period of working from home fruitfully & to start the site works stage wise with the invo...
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Conference Presentations by W. Nethmi Kawmudi
Books by W. Nethmi Kawmudi
Papers by W. Nethmi Kawmudi