Browsing by Author "Kumarathunga, J.U"

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Open Access
Effect of Project Duration Decision at the Bidding Process on Cost Overruns of Sri-Lankan Building Projects
(Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, 2023-03-25) Kumarathunga, J.U; Wijekoon, W.M.C.L.K.; Kalugala, C
Cost overruns are a significant issue in the construction industry, particularly from the standpoint of clients. Many studies have been interested in the unpredictable situations that lead to cost overruns, with the primary goal of pinpointing the precise causative factors. There is a knowledge gap about whether cost overruns could be prevented through effective decision-making at a project’s earliest phases. Therefore, the aim of this research was to critically review if the impact of the project duration decision taken at the bidding process could lead to cost overruns of Sri Lankan building projects, and to provide recommendations of preventive measures to be taken. Deductive research approach and qualitative analysis was used to achieve the four main objectives set for this study. The literature review was able to identify the significant causative factors for cost overrun in the construction industry. The analysis of data collected through questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews revealed that there are several causative factors for cost overrun, that stem from the project duration being excessive or inadequate : Claims and disputes, inadequate planning and scheduling, unrealistic work schedule, expense due to completion delay and extension of time, and difficulty in predicting the future. This study was able to identify that there is a relationship between project duration decision and cost overrun, where if the project duration decided at the bidding process is excessive or inadequate, it will be causative of cost overruns. Finally, this study has provided preventive measures to avoid cost overrun at the bidding process when deciding the project duration.
Open Access
AN IOT-BASED ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SRI LANKAN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
(Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka, 2023-07-21) Liyanage, D.L.C.P; Anuradha, I.G.N; Kumarathunga, J.U; Kalugala, C; Samarakoon Arachchige, D.S
Sri Lankan household energy consumption was accounted for around 34% of national energy consumption in 2017, and residential applications were accounted for 36% of national energy waste in 2018. Therefore, reducing the energy wastage in the household environment is essential. Researchers from all around the world are working to develop IoT-based solutions to reduce energy wastage, but there are certain challenges in adapting them to the local context as those techniques were developed for foreign domestic usage. As a result, it is crucial to come up with IoT-based solutions which are appropriate for the local environment to assist the reduction. Therefore, this article examines the importance and feasibility of adopting IoT-based electrical and electronic device control systems for household use in Sri Lankan environments. Further, a mobile application was developed to monitor and control the system, which was installed for a residential building after an analysis of the domestic requirements. This system may simply fix into an existing building, making it a cost-effective application for reducing energy wastage in developing countries.