Browsing by Author "Allis, C"

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Open Access
Data exploration on the factors associated with cost overrun on social housing projects in Trinidad and Tobago
(Elsevier Ltd, 2024-02) Chadee, A. A; Allis, C; Rathnayake, U; Martin, H; Azamathulla, H. M
This data article explores the factors that contribute to cost overrun on public sector projects within Trinidad and Tobago. The data was obtained through literature research, and structured questionnaires, designed using open-ended questions and the Likert scale. The responses were gathered from project actors and decision-makers within the public and private construction industry, mainly, project managers, contractors, engineers, architects, and consultants. The dataset was analysed using frequency, simple percentage, mean, risk impact, and fuzzy logic via the fuzzy synthetic evaluation method (FSE). The significance of the analysed data is to determine the critical root causes of cost overrun which affect public sector infrastructure development projects (PSIDPs), from being completed on time and within budget. The dataset is most useful to project and construction management professionals and academia, to provide additional insight into the understanding of the leading factors associated with cost overrun and the critical group in which they occur (political factors). Such understanding can encourage greater decisions under uncertainty and complexity, thus accounting for and reducing cost overrun on public sector projects. © 2023
Open Access
Fire Safety Performance of High-rise buildings in Sri Lanka
(SLIIT, 2022-02-11) Perera, H. D. N. L; Allis, C
Fire safety is the most critical aspect of high-rise building safety. As human life is essential than other aspects, analysis of a reliable building fire safety performance is more critical than ever. Whenever an actual fire incident occurs, the active firefighting systems in the building would be activated first. As a result, it is necessary to identify the operation of active firefighting systems as well as proper service and maintenance of the systems. The research problem was identified as, people tend to fulfill the minimum fire safety requirements imposed by regulations. Therefore, the condition of fire safety performance in most highrise buildings are very poor. The aim of this research is to identify suggestions to improve the fire safety performance in high-rise buildings in Sri Lanka. Consequently, three objectives have been established to fulfill the research aim. In the first objective, building design features, human behaviors, equipment failures, and underperformance of fire regulations are highlighted as contributing factors to building fire events. The second objective evaluates fire safety precautions implemented in high-rise buildings, such as alarm activation, communication and evacuation procedures, service and maintenance periods of live fire systems, and fire evacuation drills. In the third objective, suggestions to improve the fire safety performance in high-rise buildings are recognized as, maintaining proper coordination between the fire brigade and building fire maintenance department at all times. Since the interpretivism philosophy used in this inductive qualitative research, the data was collected through conducting ten interviews with professionals who are primarily engaged with achieving reliable fire safety performance in high-rise buildings. In conclusion, recommendations such as, establish a coordination center to maintain proper coordination with fire brigade, air force and building maintenance staff and introduce a trained air force squad with helicopters and firefighting equipments can be implemented in Sri Lankan high-rise buildings
Embargo
Impact of Pandemic on Finances of SMEs in Sri Lankan Construction Industry
(SLIIT, Faculty of Engineering, 2024-10) Abeysiria, O; Allis, C; Lokuge, A
This study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on the financial aspects of Sri Lankan construction SMEs. The pandemic has significantly affected economies globally. Sri Lanka, a country whose economy mainly consists of SMEs, has faced adverse effects due to the preventive measures implemented to control the spread of the disease. Nearly 90% of registered construction firms in Sri Lanka belong to the SME category. Financial challenges or difficulties were encountered by construction SMEs even before the pandemic impacted Sri Lanka. Currently, most of the Sri Lankan construction SMEs are on the brink of bankruptcy, mainly due to the financial challenges brought about by the pandemic. This study comprises primary data produced from semi-structured interviews and secondary sources of data from the literature review. It has identified the financial challenges undergone by construction SMEs in usual manners, including limited access to bank credit facilities, lack of capital of the contractor, and lack of cash flow due to delayed payments, among others. Principally, there were several financial challenges created due to the pandemic, including barriers in obtaining credit facilities from suppliers, and the challenges that were usually present have intensified with the effects of the ongoing pandemic. In the latter part of this study, strategies that Sri Lankan construction SMEs have executed to survive in the industry are pointed out. Most SME contractors in Sri Lanka do not have positive perspectives on staying in the industry for the long term, given the financial challenges they have encountered with the current pandemic.
Open Access
IMPLEMENTING SAFE WORKING CYCLE (SWC) CONCEPT AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN SRI LANKA
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2022-06-26) Rasanjana, H.P; Allis, C
The phenomenon of COVID-19 has introduced critical challenges in the architecture, engineering, and the entire construction industry. A safe Working Cycle is a Japanese concept. It incorporates to enhances the effective implementation of safety management systems, thereby helping to prevent health and safety issues. This research mainly aims at identifying the strategies for overcoming barriers to implementing the Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept during the COVID-19 pandemics in Sri Lanka. The research study focused more on reducing health-related illnesses caused by COVID-19 than on the other physical safety issues at the construction site. In such a critical health issue, the protection of human resources, an essential part of the construction industry, should be prioritized. The aim of the Study was reached through the sequential mixed method. The semi-structured expert interviews were initially conducted, and after that questionnaire survey was achieved among health and safety officers in construction projects in Sri Lanka. In the semi-structured interviews, data were analyzed using Nvivo thematic analysis software and questionnaire survey; M.S. Excel analyzed the collected data. Following the findings, several potential barriers were arisen to implementing the SWC concept in the Sri Lankan construction industry: including limited Budget allocation, poor safety attitude, limited land space, strict project schedules, and unawareness of workers. Further, this Study also indicated several potential practical strategies to overcome these barriers identified for SWC implementation. Such as; Implementing the COVID-19 bio bubble concept, Organizing regular toolbox meetings, demonstrating sign boards specific to this new concept, arranging separate systematic time slots, buildup a good communication network. The safe Working Cycle (SWC) is not currently practised in Sri Lankan construction culture. However, health and safety professionals are familiar with almost every aspect of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC); therefore, it is possible to put this into practice in the Sri Lankan construction industry. © 2022, Ceylon Institute of Builders
Open Access
Implementing Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept amidst the COVID-19 crisis in Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2022-06) Rasanjana, H. P; Allis, C
The phenomenon of COVID-19 has introduced critical challenges in the architecture, engineering, and the entire construction industry. A safe Working Cycle is a Japanese concept. It incorporates to enhances the effective implementation of safety management systems, thereby helping to prevent health and safety issues. This research mainly aims at identifying the strategies for overcoming barriers to implementing the Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept during the COVID-19 pandemics in Sri Lanka. The research study focused more on reducing health-related illnesses caused by COVID-19 than on the other physical safety issues at the construction site. In such a critical health issue, the protection of human resources, an essential part of the construction industry, should be prioritized. The aim of the Study was reached through the sequential mixed method. The semi-structured expert interviews were initially conducted, and after that questionnaire survey was achieved among health and safety officers in construction projects in Sri Lanka. In the semi-structured interviews, data were analyzed using Nvivo thematic analysis software and questionnaire survey; M.S. Excel analyzed the collected data. Following the findings, several potential barriers were arisen to implementing the SWC concept in the Sri Lankan construction industry: including limited Budget allocation, poor safety attitude, limited land space, strict project schedules, and unawareness of workers. Further, this Study also indicated several potential practical strategies to overcome these barriers identified for SWC implementation. Such as; Implementing the COVID-19 bio bubble concept, Organizing regular toolbox meetings, demonstrating sign boards specific to this new concept, arranging separate systematic time slots, buildup a good communication network. The safe Working Cycle (SWC) is not currently practised in Sri Lankan construction culture. However, health and safety professionals are familiar with almost every aspect of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC); therefore, it is possible to put this into practice in the Sri Lankan construction industry
Open Access
IMPLEMENTING SAFE WORKING CYCLE (SWC) CONCEPT AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN SRI LANKA
(researchgate.net, 2022-06-24) Rasanjana, H. P; Allis, C
The phenomenon of COVID-19 has introduced critical challenges in the architecture, engineering, and the entire construction industry. A safe Working Cycle is a Japanese concept. It incorporates to enhances the effective implementation of safety management systems, thereby helping to prevent health and safety issues. This research mainly aims at identifying the strategies for overcoming barriers to implementing the Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept during the COVID-19 pandemics in Sri Lanka. The research study focused more on reducing health-related illnesses caused by COVID-19 than on the other physical safety issues at the construction site. In such a critical health issue, the protection of human resources, an essential part of the construction industry, should be prioritized. The aim of the Study was reached through the sequential mixed method. The semi-structured expert interviews were initially conducted, and after that questionnaire survey was achieved among health and safety officers in construction projects in Sri Lanka. In the semi-structured interviews, data were analyzed using Nvivo thematic analysis software and questionnaire survey; M.S. Excel analyzed the collected data. Following the findings, several potential barriers were arisen to implementing the SWC concept in the Sri Lankan construction industry: including limited Budget allocation, poor safety attitude, limited land space, strict project schedules, and unawareness of workers. Further, this Study also indicated several potential practical strategies to overcome these barriers identified for SWC implementation. Such as; Implementing the COVID-19 bio bubble concept, Organizing regular toolbox meetings, demonstrating sign boards specific to this new concept, arranging separate systematic time slots, buildup a good communication network. The safe Working Cycle (SWC) is not currently practised in Sri Lankan construction culture. However, health and safety professionals are familiar with almost every aspect of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC); therefore, it is possible to put this into practice in the Sri Lankan construction industry
Open Access
Mitigation Practices for Frequent Accidents in High Rise Building Construction
(SLIIT, 2022-02-11) Delpachitra, Y; Allis, C
High-rise building construction accidents are observed within the construction industry in Sri Lanka. These accidents represent a significant loss for the construction industry in terms of lives, cost, time, and the reputation of the construction company. To overcome those losses, this research aimed to develop the framework as guidance to mitigate frequently happening accidents in high-rise building construction in Sri Lanka. It was achieved by three main objectives, identify the frequent accidents in high-rise building construction, investigate the causes of frequent accidents happen and analyze the strategies to minimize them. The first two objectives were completed by literature review, and the third objective was completed by data collection while developing the second objective. The data collection was done through semi-structured interviews with 12 professionals who work as health and safety officers, project managers, engineers, and quantity surveyors in high-rise building construction. Only those who work in the Colombo area were considered here as a limitation. Under the first objective, scaffolding accidents, struck by falling objects, plant, and machinery accidents, falling from a height, and fire accidents were identified as frequent accidents in high rise building construction, and causes were listed below the human factors, material, and equipment factors, environmental Factors, safety technology factors, and management failures as the second objective. Essentially risk assessment, developing the site conditions, conducting training programs establishing safety system with the procedure control system, and establishing penalty procedure were the discoveries of the third objective, and those are categorized separately in the pre-construction stage and post-construction stage. According to all these findings, the framework was developed to identified relevant mitigation practices for the causes of high-rise building construction accidents, and this research recommended for government to introduce new regulations for safety while strictly following up the safety system of the high-rise building construction sites to reduce the accidents.