Department of Civil Engineering | University of Peradeniya

The Department's Biannual Digital Research Footprint

VOL 1 ISSUE 1  •  MAR 2022 EDITOR
Dr. DTKK Chamindu

ADVISORY BOARD
Prof. JJ Wijetunge
Prof. KGN Nanayakkara
Dr. P Neluwala
ISSN 2827-7287 Dr. JASC Jayasinghe
Dr. SK Navarathnarajah

From the Head of the Department... This issue:

From the Department
The editor has given a very apt sub-title in the Head
masthead of this magazine cum newsletter:
"The Department's Biannual Digital Research
PAGE 01
Footprint". Letter to the Editor
It indeed is and will be, both literally and figuratively, for I hope the PAGE 02
impression that it creates will be marked, long-lasting and impactful,
knowing first-hand the level and volume of research being Research Seminars
performed by our academic staff together with their postgraduate
and undergraduate students. There indeed is a vibrant and healthy
PAGE 03 - 04
research culture taking shape within the bounds of the department Research Dialogue
in clusters scattered across its eight laboratories.
PAGE 05
As it ought to be, the research outcomes have been regularly
presented at scientific fora and published in reputed local and Research Awards &
international journals thus contributing to the advancement of Achievements
knowledge. However, sharing of new knowledge through academic
PAGE 06
publications is confined primarily to the research community and
cannot be expected to readily reach the industry and the practicing Research Scholarships
engineers.
PAGE 07
Thus, a research magazine like this is a small step towards at least
partially addressing such deficiencies in the communication of vital A Chat with a Recent
research outcomes, or at a minimum, to draw attention to such work Graduate
for further exploration and utilization, I hope. PAGE 08 - 09
This is very important because constant communication between
academic researchers and practicing engineers is necessary as both Student Perspectives
entities benefit from such collaboration. And for that matter, new PAGE 10
methods, applications, and processes developed through research
would be of little value unless such advancements reach the Research Highlights
engineering practice and the industry. PAGE 11 - 13
Finally, let me conclude this brief note by congratulating the editor
and the advisory board for an attractive and insightful first issue Featured Publications
and I am confident that our readers will find it interesting. Do check PAGE 14 - 15
it out.
JJ WIJETUNGE
Announcements
Professor in Civil Engineering PAGE 16
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 01
https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Letter to the Editor
Health of some old concrete buildings in the country:
are those structurally fit?
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in Sri Lanka. The main motives are its availability
and cost. Concrete is strong in compression, however, lacks tensile strength. Consequently, it is used
together with steel reinforcement, particularly in flexural structural elements. The composite is referred
as reinforced concrete (RC). Even though concrete itself gains strength with age (and therefore durable),
embedded reinforcement in RC structures is vulnerable considerably for corrosion over the long run.
Durability of RC elements can primarily be improved via providing adequate cover to the reinforcement,
using good quality and dense concrete, controlling cracking, etc.
It is reported that a considerable number of major structures that were
constructed during 1950s/60s in the country have started showing
signs of serious structural distresses. The major distresses include:
spalling of concrete; reinforcement corrosion; severe cracking;
disintegration of canopies/cladding; water leakage; undesirable
deflection; etc. One major reason behind such distresses is identified to
be the less attention paid on durability at the time of design. In fact,
durability was regarded rather a minor design requirement during
traditional designs.

DR. HD YAPA
"Islandwide
comprehensive
structural
appraisal for
critical old
structures in the
country is vital"

In addition, the material quality is identified to be less when

compared with the modern setting. In some buildings, the applied
loading has been exaggerated than anticipated at the time of the
original design. Similarly, some have been subjected to major
renovations/alterations without foreseeing structural aspects.

In this context, it is essential to conduct an island wide

comprehensive structural appraisal for critical old structures in
the country. Together with modern technology and tools, such
appraisal would necessarily help to identify structural deficiencies
as well as appropriate retrofitting remedies to increase the life
time of structurally deficient structures.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 02

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
 Departmental Research Seminar
DR. HD YAPA
Non-structural Cracking of Concrete : Causes
and Mitigation

The Departmental
DR. MCM NASVI
Research Seminar is
Geopolymers and Some of Their
Applications one of the main
interactive research
platforms to
showcase the
DR. P NELUWALA
Weather Forecasting and Their
ongoing research
Engineering Applications activities of the
Department to local
Academic and international
research
DR. CS BANDARA
Staff Fatigue Damage Assessment
of Structures
communities and the
industry.

Presentations

----------------
2021 PROF. JJ WIJETUNGE
Effect of Ocean Bathymetry on

Coastal Impact of Tsunami in

Sri Lanka
Organized on a
monthly basis,
DR. SK NAVARATHNARAJAH academic staff
Use of Recycled Rubber in the members take their
Construction of Rail Tracks
turns to present their
research highlights to
the Department and
DR. JASC JAYASINGHE obtain valuable
Necessity of Consistent Simplified Models insights from the
and Automated Model Construction for
Large Seismic Simulations peers.

PROF. PBR DISSANAYAKE

Way Forward with Research

Commercialization

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 03

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA

HTTPS://ENG.PDN.AC.LK/CIVIL/ | PAGE 03
Student Research Seminar

KSDM FERNANDO
Life cycle assessment and cost analysis of fly ash-rice husk ash
blended alkali-activated concrete

Organized by the
M KESAVAN Civil Engineering
Assessment of Critical Factors Influencing the Research Club, the
Performance of Labour in Sri Lankan
Construction Industry seminar series
provides a platform
for full-time
HMP WIJEYAWARDANA postgraduate
Development of Biochar Based
Functional Concrete Materials for Urban students of the
Runoff Quality Improvement Department to
Postgraduate J KETHARANI
communicate and
discuss their research
Identification of the fouling
student mechanism in nanofiltration findings with peer
membranes during the purification students and the
of groundwater with high hardness
and dissolve organic matter
academic staff.
Presentations

2021 S VENUJA
Enhancing the performance of ----------------
ballasted rail tracks using

geosynthetic inclusions

The bi-monthly
MDYN LAMAWANSA
seminar is a much
Evaluation of shear critical reinforced looked forward to
concrete element behaviour using
event and creates a
different numerical approaches
friendly peer learning
environment while
N JAYAKODY also opening up
Prioritization Model for Road Pavement possibilities for
Maintenance Prediction Considering Cross
Assets research
collaborations.

V HERATH
Hydrologically Informed Machine Learning for

Rainfall-Runoff Modelling

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 04

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/

Research Dialogue
Prof. S.B.S. Abayakoon is the senior-most member in the Department’s academic staff and has served as

the inaugural Chairman of the Engineering Council of Sri Lanka (ECSL) as well as the President of the

Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL). Having held many academic, research and administrative positions

during his 43-year-long career, Prof. Abayakoon is endowed with profound experience in all three areas.

Today’s Research Dialogue is featured with his decades long contribution to the Department’s

research landscape.

"My interest in research was focused on dynamic analyses after I entered the

University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada for higher studies” he initiated the

dialogue.

"As is the case in most north American universities located in the west coast of the

continent, UBC also engages heavily in the study of seismic forces and their

effects on soils and structures” he says.

His research focus shifted from Soil Dynamics in his Masters to Structural

Dynamics for his doctoral work where he used finite strip method to analyze

and estimate the effects of blast loading on structures.

"It was an era where all-purpose computer packages for numerical studies were

not available" he continued.

"It was quite a challenge and fascinating to engage in mathematical formulations to address both material

and geometric non-linearities"

When Prof. Abayakoon was offered a sabbatical position at the University of Tokyo in 1997, he decided to use

that period to study how earthquake engineering is applicable to Sri Lanka, although, at that time, the

country was considered to be aseismic. His pioneering work in this area is now being continued vigorously by

many researchers as the importance of this new field is now realized, especially after the 2004 Tsunami that

engulfed almost the entire coastline of the country.

"I am extremely happy about the research programmes currently being conducted by the academic staff

members of the Department and their continued interest in developing a strong research culture in the

Department" he said unskeptically, closing the dialogue.

He envisages a very bright future for the Department in both fundamental and applied research areas.

Prof. S.B.S. Abayakoon - Landmarks in Professional Career

Lecturer Sr. Lecturer Asso. Professor Professor Head/Civil Eng Dean/Eng Vice Chancellor Sr. Professor

1988-1989 1990-1999 1999-2003 2004-2006 2003-2005 2005-2009 2009-2012 2006 -

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 05

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
 Research Awards and Achievements

PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS
Three academic staff members of the Department
received the prestigious Presidential awards for
publications in 2018 at the ceremony held in April,
2021. DR. S DR. SK DR. KK
BUDDIKA NAVARATHNARAJAH WIJESUNDARA

FACULTY RESEARCH
AWARDS AND
CERTIFICATES
In July 2021, the Faculty Board of Engineering
conferred distinguished Faculty Research Awards DR. CS DR. KK DR. MCM
BANDARA WIJESUNDARA NASVI
and certificates to six members of the Department
in recognition of their contributions to research
during 2019-2020.

PROF. KGN DR. SK DR. DTKK

NANAYAKKARA NAVARATHNARAJAH CHAMINDU

AWARDS IN STRUCTURAL
ENGINEERING
Four research awards, including Prof.
Chandrakeerthy Award and Access Engineering
PLC Award, were received at the Annual General DR. HD DR. S DR. KK
Meeting of Structural Engineers for publications YAPA BUDDIKA WIJESUNDARA
jointly authored by students and staff members.

AWARDS IN
GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERING
Two undergraduate research projects supervised
by staff members shared the second place at the DR. SK DR. MCM
NAVARATHNARAJAH NASVI
International Project Day Competition organized
by the Sri Lankan Geotechnical Society.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 06

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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA
HTTPS://ENG.PDN.AC.LK/CIVIL/
| PAGE 06

 Research Scholarships
The Department decided to annually offer four full-time scholarships to pursue higher studies in MSc in
Engineering under the Postgraduate Programme of the Department.

First implemented in 2021, research proposals are called annually from the
academic staff covering three major subdisciplines (Structural, Materials and
Sustainable Built Environment; Geotechnical and Transportation; Water and
Environmental). Four best proposals are selected by an independent evaluation
committee on a competitive basis.
M JENOTHAN
Structural
Eight students received full studentships in 2021 and 2022
Laboratory
and are presently continuing their research studies at the
Department. They recieve a generous stipend for two
years with their postgrduate tuition fees waived.

The recipients are expected to publish at least

Recipients
one journal paper in a peer-reviewed journal
indexed in Science Citation Index. J SANGEETHA of
Geotechnical

"I am confident that the new postgraduate

Laboratory full-time
scholarship scheme will further extend the
Department's research frontiers by creating MSc
more opportunities for potential graduate
students to pursue higher studies in the scholarships
Department" says Prof. JJ Wijetunge, Head of the
Department.
WSMSK
WIJERATHNE 2021
Environmental
Funding for the scholarship scheme comes Laboratory
exclusively from the Department's Postgraduate
Programme.

"The new scholarship scheme will strengthen the

postgraduate programme of the Department to make
WAGTN
an even stronger presence among other postgraduate GUNAWARDHANA
programmes in the country" says Prof. KGN Environmental
Nanayakkara, the coordinator of the Department's Laboratory
Postgraduate Programme.

The new scholarship scheme is envisaged to set up a framework to encourage young researchers,
who will join the Department in the future, to develop new research areas at the Department in
collaboration with other universities, research institutes and the industry.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 07

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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA

HTTPS://ENG.PDN.AC.LK/CIVIL/
| PAGE 07

A Chat with a Recent Graduate

Sithija Abeysinghe, having successfully completed his undergraduate studies at the Department, is
busy with getting ready to arrive at his next destination, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom, for his
postgraduate studies. He was stopped by his batchmate, Uthpala Kaushalya, for a brief chat to recall his
undergraduate research.
First up, tell us briefly about yourself
I am Sithija Abeysinghe, graduated from the Department of Civil
Engineering, in 2020. After completing my bachelor's degree, I served
the Department as a temporary Instructor, and getting ready to travel
to the United Kingdom for my postgraduate studies.
Tell us briefly about your undergraduate research
I did my research project on Numerical Modelling of Damaged
Dapped-end RC Beams, together with my project partner Gayan
Rathnayake, supervised by Dr. Hiran Yapa. The research problem was
to assess the structural capacity of dapped-end beams which have
deterioration and detailing defects numerically, and we could extend
"An extra effort put
into the undergraduate
this research to assess the retrofitting potential of such beams. research will be a great
What motivated you to choose the area of structural investment in the
future"
engineering?
During my childhood, I was curious about how buildings and bridges stand up and how they are built
to such heights and spans. This curiosity led me to choose the field of civil engineering. During my
second and third years in my undergraduate period, | PAGEI felt
08 more passionate about structural
engineering. This idea led me to do my research in structural engineering..
Could you please briefly explain how the research was carried
out and its outcomes
After an extensive literature survey, we first explored the non-linear
numerical modeling potential of dapped-end beam behaviour. For
that, beams with and without defects were subjected to finite element
(FE) simulations, and they were validated with an existing database. FE
analysis was performed using Midas FEA. The FE results provided
ample evidence of the merits of numerical prediction potential for the
beams in terms of global and local behaviour. The maximum
discrepancy in terms of load capacity was below 16%. Later, an
experimental study was planned via the FE predictions to explore the
retrofitting potential of dapped-end beams. The results showed
successful strengthening, where the strength enhancement was
almost 30%...
Any challenges you faced during your research?
Things usually do not go as "planned". We also faced the same
difficulty. It consumed more time than we expected. Since we
had planned our research well, we could manage the time
availability and successfully conclude it. With the Covid-19
outbreak, I could take it positively, put extra time into the
research, and raise its findings towards a journal publication.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 08

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A Chat with a Recent Graduate...
How was the support from your research supervisor, partner, and the department to carry
out your research?
The guidance given by the research supervisor Dr. Hiran Yapa was tremendous. Without him, we may
not be able to take this research up to this level. Also, my research partner gave a massive support to
perform this study well. Apart from that, during the panel presentations, all the panel members (Dr.
KRB Herath, Dr. SR Herath, Dr. KK Wijesundara, Dr. HADS Buddika and Dr. CK Pathirana) gave us
valuable critical comments to keep us in the correct path. The financial support by the NRC 17-047 is
also appreciated.

You brought glory to the Department with outstanding

research performance. Tell us about your achievements
Our research is now ready to publish in the Journal of Structures
and Buildings in the near future, and this will be my first indexed
journal publication. In addition, our work was published in the
Modulus journal by the Society of Structural Engineers Sri Lanka
and was awarded the gold medal for the best publication for the
year 2020.

How important, do you think, was the undergraduate

research opportunity to shape up the career?
It was indeed my undergraduate research that played a catalytic role not only in enhancing my
knowledge and analytical skills in the subject area but also in the way I conceive myself as a
researcher in the future. Hence I believe the experience we get
| PAGE 08from it is vital to plan future research
well, and it opens up better postgraduate opportunities even if you are a bit behind in your studies.
Undoubtedly, the research experience gained from undergraduate research is the initial motive
force of those who wish to join academia soon after graduation.

How do you intend to plan your future, and what is your ultimate goal in your career?
I will soon start my postgraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. I will try
my best to perform my studies well there, be an excellent researcher to the world, and bring glory to
mother Sri Lanka. My long-term goal is to stay in academia and contribute to developing sustainable
solutions to address the challenges faced by the global engineering community. In the meantime, I
expect to contribute to the scientific community and the world by continuing research to transform it
into a better place, as I have always wanted to.

Finally, is there any message to convey to the future undergraduates that may help them
succeed in their endeavors?
In my opinion, the most important part of the undergraduate degree is the research component. I
hope that putting an extra effort into the research will be an investment in the future. Furthermore,
to get selected to a reputed university for higher studies or to work in a reputed organization, it is a
must to have a good curriculum-vitae and a profile. Hence, please commit to your academics and
research well, blending with numerous extra-curricular activities.

Congratulations for all your achievements and best of luck

with your higher studies!!
Penned by:
Uthpala Kaushalya (E/14)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 09

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Student Perspectives
Samanthi Wijerathna is among the first recipients of full scholarships from the Department's
Postgraduate Programme in 2021 to conduct a full-time MSc research study. Attached to the
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Samanthi explains her experience as a postgraduate research
student at the Department.

"My research entails developing a novel low-cost adsorbent material for

the contaminant removal from landfill leachate with a special emphasis
on color and organics. Thus, a tertiary treatment unit is being
developed using these adsorbents for a membrane bioreactor treating
landfill leachate, to polish the permeate up to the national discharge
standards. In that context, my experiments are continuing with several
base materials such as chitosan, biochars derived from sawdust and
rice husk. Amongst these materials, chitosan is proving a high capacity
for contaminant removal from landfill leachate.

The inter-connectivity between the disciplines and the departments in

the faculty is indeed a help to improve the research methodologies by
giving inputs & feedbacks and in addition, the cutting-edge analytical
"Life of a postgraduate
facilities available in the Department are furnishing the research for student at the
better outcomes. The continual support from the supervisors and the Department is full of
mentors often helps in taking these exciting findings to the global excitements and
| PAGE 08
communities through indexed and refereed journal publications. challenges"

As I intend to continue as a researcher in water

& wastewater treatment sector, the Department
of Civil Engineering is an ideal place for me to
develop my soft skills as it provides us with
ample opportunities for personality development
through seminars, conferences and workshops
which are organized in collaboration with
university, national and international level
communities.

The time I have spent here has proven that being

a postgraduate candidate at the Department of
Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya is one
of the best choices I have ever made in life, as it
offers me the finest guidance and support whilst
giving me the opportunity to give back to the
community and to my alma mater for a positive
growth in the best way possible.”

With many postgraduate research students

like Samanthi, the Department envisions a
bright future in sustaining its research culture.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 10

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Research Highlights

Utilising Waste Tyres for Rail Track Construction

Railways are the most favorable means of public transportation in many countries in the light of
increasing demand for quicker and safer transport across the country.
However, when subjected to the heavy axle and faster wheel loading, ballast
aggregates, a key load-bearing element in rail track rapidly degrade,
compromising the longevity of the track. This leads to periodic track
maintenance and increases the cost of operating tracks. Understanding
ballast mechanical behaviour and the role of artificial inclusions such as
rubber elements to the track substructure leads to better design and efficient
maintenance. The use of conventional tests for understanding the mechanical
behaviour of ballast material produce imprecise results due to the large
granular particles size relative to test sample size.

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya is equipped with

large-scale testing facilities such as servo-hydraulic dynamic actuator system, Dr. Navaratnarajah
large-scale shear tester, large-scale constant head permeameter to facilitate and his team are
these measurements. looking at utilizing
recycled waste
tires in the
construction of
rail track
foundations to
improve the track
performance

Funding:

ACCELERATING
HIGHER EDUCATION
EXPANSION
AND
DEVELOPMENT

The key findings of this study confirm that the rubber elements used in rail track foundations are
significantly reducing the stress, strain and degradation of ballast. A substantial reduction in ballast
pressure and breakage and extended track longevity would embrace blatant ‘green’ implications (i.e. less
quarrying and environmental degradation) while accruing substantial annual savings to the rail asset
owners. In terms of national benefits, manufacturing these rubber elements from recycled rubber tyres
would reduce their volume at spoil tips and contribute to more effective land use, especially in expensive
urban suburbs.
Dr. Navaratnarajah gratefully acknowledges the generous 40-million grant from Accelerating Higher
Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) without which undertaking a massive project like this is
financially challenging.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 11

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Research Highlights

High Resolution Image Processing and Mobile Robotics to Identify

Structural Defects in Bridges
Identifying early signs of structural defects and determining their severity is of utmost importance to
save lives and avoid extensive financial losses. However, accessing some bridge structures is
economically costly, risk prone to human lives and most importantly highly time consuming.
Moreover, the subjective judgment of the inspector plays a key role in the detection process which
could cause irregularities and non-uniformities in the inspection process.

Dr. Samith Buddika and his team are investigating the application of computer vision, machine
learning and mobile robotics fundamentals to develop hardware, software and firmware for smart
structural health monitoring of bridges. In particular, his work focuses on detection and
quantification of defects in bridge structures including structural cracks of critical members,
corrosion of steel elements and deck delamination.

"We particularly investigate the applicability of visible light and hyper

spectral/multi spectral imagery to identify and monitor structural
wellbeing of bridges in Sri Lanka and thereby to reduce potential
structural failures in future" Dr. Samith described to Insight.

In addition, the team is working on developing an imaging technology

and mobile hardware platforms to capture the image data, together
with image processing and computer vision technologies to automate
the detection and quantification process.

"Although the main emphasis of this study is laid on bridges, the

Dr. Samith Buddika technology can be conveniently extended to other structures as well"
and his team are
Dr. Samith explained.
deploying
cutting-edge
imaging technology
to automate
detection of
strcutural defects in
bridges
In the local and global context, this research
will help structural engineers decision
making on infrastructure lifetime and health
assessment with improved accuracy,
reliability and convenience.

Team members
Dr. AJ Dammika - Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. WANI Harischandra - Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Dr. Damayanthi Herath - Department of Computer Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF CIVILgratefully
Dr. Navaratnarajah ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY
acknowledges OFgenerous
the PERADENIYA | PAGE
40-million grant from Accelerating 12
Higher
https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) without which undertaking a massive project like this is
financially challenging.
Research Highlights
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Paddy Ecosystems
Emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from terrestrial ecosystems has a major impact on global
climate. However, measurements of GHG emissions are largely concentrated in North America and
Europe, whereas the low- and middle-income countries in the Global South, including those in
Southeast Asia, remain largely underrepresented. Unfortunately, these countries have emerging
environmental problems due to increasing population and rapid changes in land use patterns.
Consequently, the specific role of GHG emissions from these regions has been considerably
downplayed in the global GHG budget.
In a study funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change
Research, Dr. Chamindu and his research team takes a regional
approach to measure GHG emissions from paddy ecosystems, which
constitute a major source of the highly potent greenhouse gases,
methane and nitrous oxide, in southern Asian agroecosystems.

The international team has undertaken measurement campaigns in

selected paddy sites in Sri Lanka, India, and Japan to estimate GHG
emissions in paddy cycles throughout the year" Dr. Chamindu
explained.
The conventional chamber-based method is accompanied by the
Dr. Chamindu and
latest laser technology for continuous monitoring of GHG fluxes.
his team are
Hans Frederik Hansen, a visiting postgraduate student from the investigating
University of Copenhagen, Denmark, joined the Sri Lankan team to emission of
conduct the measurement campaign at the Rice Research and greenhouse gas
Development Institute, Bathalegoda. fluxes from paddy
landscapes in South
Funding: Asian Region

CRRP2020- 07MY-Deepagoda

Project Partners

DEPARTMENT OF CIVILgratefully
Dr. Navaratnarajah ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY
acknowledges OFgenerous
the PERADENIYA | PAGE
40-million grant from Accelerating 13
Higher
https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) without which undertaking a massive project like this is
financially challenging.
Featured Publications

Modernization of the left bank irrigation system of the

Kaudulla reservoir of Sri Lanka
Irrigation water management in the paddy cultivation area under the left
bank canal of the Kaudulla tank in Medirigiriya District Secretariat Division
of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka has become a serious issue
due to limited water availability and inefficient water distribution
infrastructure at present. Insufficient storage capacities of the 35 village
tanks in the cultivation area, low rainfall during some months and
regulated inflow from the transbasin diversion to Kaudulla tank through
Minneriya-Kanthale Yoda Ela (MKYE) have had a significant impact on
yield in the two cultivation seasons of the year.

In this article, various options including modernization of irrigation infrastructure in the Kaudulla left
bank command area of 7160 ha was investigated for effective utilization of limited available water. The
results of the calibrated and validated HEC-HMS model and CROPWAT model were used with WEAP
model to evaluate the water balance and demand to identify the best investment for improving irrigation
water supply to maximize the return. Economic analysis was carried out using the net present values for
different modernization options. Accordingly, the construction of a new canal system and augmentation
of the capacities of 8 selected village tanks from the present total capacity of 3.8 MCM to 20 MCM was
found to be the most appropriate unless diversion from the Minneriya tank to Kaudulla tank is enhanced
which is not likely in the near future. This intervention will increase the income from the yield by Rs. 205
million with a payback period of 12 years for an inflation rate of 7.6% (in 2019), in the Yala season.

IN 2021

38
PEER-REVIEWED
JOURNAL
PUBLICATIONS
BY STAFF AND
STUDENTS

Wijenayaka, W.D.M., Weerakoon, S.B. and Mutua, F. (2021). Modernization of the left
bank irrigation system of the Kaudulla reservoir of Sri Lanka.
Journal of Water and Climate Change (2022) 13 (1): 56–66.
https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2021.122 Courtesy
P R O F . S B W E E R AK O O N

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 14

https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/
 Featured Publications
Investigation of design and performance
improvements on solid resilient tires
through numerical simulation
Letter to the Editor
Solid tires are often utilized to bear excessive loads. Therefore, sidewall
cracks and internal heat build-up affect their durability more significantly. It
is a challenge to minimize these factors and improve tire performance while
maintaining the functionality of the solid tire. Moreover, there are no
specific standard guidelines for modifying the solid tire design to achieve
this objective.

As a solution, several design and performance improvements are

introduced to the solid resilient tire and investigates the performance of
these modified designs using the Finite Element (FE) method under static
and dynamic conditions. For these FE simulations, suitable hyperelastic
models are obtained using curve fitting combined with three standard error
measures. The Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden, and Yeoh material models show good
agreement with experimental data for modelling the base, cushion, and
tread layers of the tire, respectively. The developed FE models are validated
using experimental data which were obtained from the Elastomeric
Engineering company in Sri Lanka.
The validated model is used to develop and analyse two
distinct tire models which have two different cavity
geometries (circular and elliptical) in their cushion layers to
minimize heat build-up and sidewall cracks. The
introduction of cavities helps to reduce strain energy
dissipation and to increase the dissipation of internal heat
by convection. Furthermore, the stress intensity on the
side walls is also reduced, thereby minimizing sidewall
cracks. The tire reinforcements are also rearranged to
Maximum Von Mises Stress Distribution further improve the performance of the models.
Numerical experiments show that the modified designs
have a lower strain energy density, lower stress
concentration, and less material utilization when
compared to the basic tire design.

Premarathna, W. A. A. S., Jayasinghe, J. A. S. C., Wijesundara, K. K., Gamage, P., Ranatunga, R. R. M. S.

K., & Senanayake, C. D. (2021). Investigation of design and performance improvements on solid
resilient tires through numerical simulation. Engineering Failure Analysis, 128, 105618.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2021.105618

Courtesy
DR. JASC JAYASINGHE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 15

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA
https://eng.pdn.ac.lk/civil/

HTTPS://ENG.PDN.AC.LK/CIVIL/ | PAGE 13

Announcements CONTACT US
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
Department-Industry Interaction Cell (DIIC) ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
The Department-Industry Interaction Cell (DIIC) was UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA
established on 1st February 2022 to strengthen the PERADENIYA 20400
SRI LANKA
relationship between the Department of Civil Engineering
and the Industry leading to a mutually beneficial
partnership.
HEADCIVIL@ENG.PDN.AC.LK

Research for Industry (R4I)

webinar series was
launched on 10th February +9 4 ( 0 ) 8 1 2 3 9 3 5 0 2
2022 with the participation
of eminent industry
personnel and practicing
+9 4 ( 0 ) 8 1 2 3 9 3 5 0 0
engineers.

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For more information, please visit

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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING | UNIVERISTY OF PERADENIYA | PAGE 16

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