FEATURED NEWS

The Department Christmas Carols Program was held on the evening of 19th December at the Civil Engineering Auditorium. The event was organized by the students of Intake 24. The event was attended by the staff and the students of the Department, Rev. Sunil Weerasinghe, children and guardians from the homes of Diri Daru Piyasa-Maharagama. The event included a time of singing carols, led by the students of Intakes 23 and 24. Rev. Sunil Weerasinghe shared a short reflection on how the true meaning of Christmas is found in Jesus. The performances of the children from Diri Daru Piyasa-Maharagama was one of the highlights of the evening. As part of sharing the true spirit of Christmas, distribution of gifts to the children from these homes was carried out from the generous contributions of the staff and students of the Department.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, together with the Departments of Civil Engineering of the University of Peradeniya and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, actively contributed to a voluntary post-disaster damage assessment programme conducted from 9–11 December. This initiative was carried out in collaboration with the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, with the objective of supporting rapid and informed decision-making on the safe reopening of affected schools. As part of this national-level response, Civil engineering teams undertook detailed structural and geotechnical assessments of more than 60 school buildings across the Central Province. The assessments focused on identifying cyclone-induced damage, evaluating structural integrity, examining slope stability and foundation conditions, and determining the overall safety of school infrastructure. The findings were intended to assist authorities in prioritising remedial actions and ensuring the safety of students, teachers, and staff before resuming academic activities. The University of Moratuwa team was led by academic staff members Dr. Chathura Rajapaksha, Dr. Chamod Hettiarachchi, Dr. Nalaka Jayantha, and Dr. Sampath Hewage, supported by postgraduate research assistants and final-year undergraduate students. All members participated on a voluntary basis, demonstrating a strong commitment to professional service and community engagement. The teams covered a wide geographical area within the Central Province, including Kandy, Gampola, Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Ulapane, and several other affected and vulnerable locations. This initiative stands as a strong example of inter-university collaboration, effective engagement between academia and national institutions, and the civil engineering community’s dedication to providing timely, responsible, and socially impactful expertise during times of national need. The Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, remains committed to contributing its knowledge and skills in support of disaster resilience and public safety across Sri Lanka.

Students from the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, achieved outstanding success at the 16th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment 2025 (ICSBE 2025), held from 12–14 December 2025 in Kandy under the theme “Next-Generation Innovation & Advancement – Diamond 75.” Undergraduate and postgraduate students presented high-quality research on sustainable construction, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction, earning several prestigious awards. The Best Scientific Paper Award in the special session on Advancing Sustainable Construction: Technologies, Materials, and Practices for a Greener Future was awarded to Ms. B.R.W.M.D. Thoradeniya, Prof. (Mrs.) C. Jayasinghe, and Dr. I.E. Ariyaratne. In the special session on Climate Risk Management and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation for a Resilient, Low-Carbon Future, the award was presented to Ms. W. D. Lakmini and Dr. G. M. C. A. Perera. The Best Scientific Paper Award in the session on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilient Infrastructure was awarded to Mr. W. K. S. D. Wijesinghe, Dr. G. M. C. A. Perera, and Dr. T. M. N. Wijayaratna. Additionally, the Best Presenter Award in the Special Session on Fire Safety Engineering in Sustainable Buildings was awarded to Ms. W.M.C.S. Wanasinghe, Dr. T.G.P.L. Weerasinghe, and Prof. M.T.R. Jayasinghe. These achievements reflect the high standard of research, innovation, and academic mentorship within the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, and reinforce its commitment to addressing contemporary challenges in the sustainable built environment.

During Academic Term 1, students of the 2024 Batch undertook an innovative multidisciplinary project titled “Project UoM 2035 – Engineering the Future”, designed to simulate a real-world campus planning and development exercise within an academic setting. As part of their continuous assessment, students worked in teams as professional consulting firms to reimagine the University of Moratuwa campus for the year 2035, with a focus on smart infrastructure, sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity. Conducted over eight weeks, the project covered key aspects of engineering practice, including campus mobility, structural innovation, green space design, infrastructure systems, construction planning, risk management, and ethical design. The project culminated in a final presentation where teams showcased comprehensive master plans using models, posters, and formal presentations. Assessment was based on continuous evaluation and a final presentation, with awards recognizing excellence in areas such as sustainability, inclusivity, and teamwork. The project enhanced students’ technical knowledge while strengthening teamwork, creativity, communication, and systems-thinking skills, demonstrating effective experiential learning aligned with real-world engineering challenges.

As part of a knowledge sharing lecture series aimed at strengthening final-year project preparedness, the Department of Civil Engineering successfully organized a guest lecture titled “Best Practice Guidelines for Advanced Finite Element Modelling” on 10th December 2025. The session was attended by undergraduate students, research assistants, and faculty members from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science Engineering, reflecting the interdisciplinary relevance of the topic. The lecture was delivered by Associate Professor Damith Mohotti, a leading structural engineering researcher from the University of New South Wales. He serves as the Academic Lead of the National Facility for Physical Blast Simulation in Australia and is a leading researcher in blast- and impact-resistant structures and advanced computational modelling. The session focused on the growing importance of advanced finite element modelling (FEM) in analysing complex structural, material, and multi-physics engineering problems. Emphasizing that the reliability of FEM outcomes depends strongly on sound modelling practices, the speaker presented a structured framework for model development, verification, and validation. Drawing on his extensive hands-on experience with advanced simulation platforms such as LS-DYNA and ANSYS CFD, he enriched the lecture with practical insights and real-world examples.

The Department of Civil Engineering successfully hosted a guest lecture titled “Sustainability, Resilience, and Digital Transformation in Structural Engineering: Insights from ASCE COS 73” on 3rd December 2025, delivered by Ms. Radhi Majmudar, Founding Principal of Innovative Structural and Specialty Engineering (ISSE), and witnessed enthusiastic participation from postgraduate students and faculty members. Ms. Majmudar, a structural engineer with over thirty-five years of professional experience, shared valuable insights drawn from her extensive international portfolio spanning five continents. She introduced participants to Standard Practice for Sustainable Infrastructure, ASCE COS 73, the emerging performance-based sustainability standard that is redefining procurement language, engineering workflows, and long-term infrastructure planning across the United States and Europe. Emphasizing the need for outcome-driven design, she explained how COS 73 integrates sustainability, resilience, life-cycle performance, and systems thinking into contemporary engineering practice. The session concluded with an engaging interactive discussion that highlighted the critical importance of sustainability in the context of the recent cyclone-related catastrophe in Sri Lanka.

The Transportation Engineering Division of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, has initiated a collaborative research agreement with Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited for a study titled “Demand Modeling for Domestic Air Travel Trips in the Sri Lankan Aviation Sector.” The proposed research aims to develop a calibrated demand model to support evidence-based planning and policy formulation in Sri Lanka’s domestic aviation sector. As part of the engagement, the Transportation Engineering Division also presented an overview of its ongoing research activities, further strengthening industry–academia collaboration in the field of air transportation. The Transportation Engineering Division was represented by Dr. Varuna Adikariwattage, Mr. Osanda Rathnayake, and Mr. Lahiru Rathuge. Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited was represented by Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Harsha Abeywickrema, Chairman; Dr. Sumith De Silva, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications; Mr. Aruna Rajapaksha, Head of Airport Management; and Mr. Kishantha Nimalaratne, Head of Civil Aviation Training. This collaboration marks an important milestone in advancing research-driven decision-making and promoting sustainable development within Sri Lanka’s aviation sector.

Professor Udeni Nawagamuwa, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, has been awarded the 2025 AITAA Distinguished Alumni Award by the Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association (AITAA) in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Academic and Research Excellence and his significant professional and technical contributions to society and the global community. The prestigious award was presented on 8 November 2025 at the 54th Governing Board Meeting of the Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This honour reflects the exemplary leadership of Professor Nawagamuwa in academia, impactful research, and continued commitment to advancing engineering education and practice both locally and internationally.

Three research articles co-authored by five academic staff members of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, were honoured at the President’s Award for Scientific Research 2021. For their exceptional contributions to scientific research, the journal papers ‘Grappling with COVID-19 by imposing and lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions in Sri Lanka: A modeling perspective’, co-authored by Prof. M. W. Jayaweera and Prof. J. M. A. Manathunga, ‘Evaluation of the impact of runway characteristics on veer-off risk at rapid exit taxiways', co-authored by Prof. H.R. Pasindu and Dr. Varuna Adikariwattage, and ‘Thermal and environmental impact analysis of rice husk ash-based mortar as insulating wall plaster’, co-authored by Prof. (Mrs.) J. C. P. H. Gamage were recognized with prestigious awards in acknowledgment of their high-quality scientific research.

Professor Ananda Jayawardane, a Senior Professor in Civil Engineering and a past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, has been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Bank of Ceylon with effect from 14th November 2025. Professor Jayawardane is an outstanding academic, an academic leader and a corporate personality with extensive experience and expertise in corporate governance in public institutions and private corporates in banking, finance, manufacturing, insurance, education and science & technology. He completed his term as the Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC in April 2024 after serving nine years on its Board of Directors and successfully leading the bank during the most challenging times. He brings in extensive expertise in corporate governance, strategy, risks, credit, talent management, technology management, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of HNB Assurance PLC and Mother Lanka Foundation and serves in the Stakeholder Engagement Committee of the Central Bank and the Corporate Governance Committee of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. Prof. Jayawardane’s far-reaching background in academia and industry is expected to contribute significantly to the strategic direction and governance of the Bank of Ceylon.