FEATURED NEWS

Second year undergraduate students from the Civil Engineering Department had the opportunity to explore the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and Southern Expressway on March 17th, 2024. This field visit was organized as part of their Fundamentals of Transportation Engineering module in Semester 4, where they got to experience the operation and maintenance strategies of Transportation Infrastructure.

The Annual General Meeting of the Civil Engineering Society (CES) of University of Moratuwa was successfully held on 4th April 2024 at the Civil Engineering Department Auditorium. During the meeting, new office bearers were appointed from second- and third-year students. The appointed chief office bearers are Mr. Supun Madushanka (President), Mr. Dulanga Perera (Secretary) and Mr. Dashenu Preeth (Junior Treasurer). At the meeting, heartfelt appreciation was expressed by Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe, the Head of the Department, Dr. Sampath Hewage, the Students' Advisor, and Dr. Pasindu Weerasinghe, the Senior Treasurer, as they acknowledged the remarkable achievements of the society. They emphasized the invaluable contributions and services provided by the Civil Engineering Society to both the department and the broader community.

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival program of the Department of Civil Engineering, “Civil Ape Avurudu 2024” was held on the 30th of April 2024 from 08.30 am onwards at the Department premises. This event was coordinated by the 22nd batch of the Civil Engineering Department with the guidance of the Head of the Department, Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe, to commemorate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival. The day-long celebration was filled with captivating activities and engrossing games, blending Sinhala and Tamil customs. In addition, the celebration was made even more special with traditional customs, decorations, and food. Undergraduates performed traditional dances and music, enhancing the cultural atmosphere of the event.

The Avrudu and Ramadhan festival celebrations were held on the 25th of April 2024 from 10.30 am onwards at the Civil Engineering Department. The celebration was organized as a part of the initiative by the Head of the Department, Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe, to promote cultural understanding among various communities by disseminating information about various ethnic groups. Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe addressed the gathering by wishing everyone a Happy Sinhala and Tamil New Year & Happy Ramadhan. The event was attended by both academic and non-academic staff members of the Civil Engineering Department, as well as postgraduate students.

In a ceremony held on February 29th, 2024, at the Institution of Civil Engineers UK headquarters in London, the University of Moratuwa and Access Engineering PLC alongside its global academic and industry partners, were awarded the prestigious Collaborate to Innovate Award 2023 by the Engineer Magazine UK. The team won the award after competing in a highly competitive category of “Information, Data and Connectivity” in which there were five shortlisted entries. This award recognized the project “Innovative Pre-Straining Tools and Brillouin Optical Frequency Domain Analysis (BOFDA) Technology Assessment: A Transnational Leap in Infrastructure Monitoring”. The objective of the project was to address gaps in the current understanding of workmanship factors essential for effective Fibre Optic Monitoring.

The Department of Civil Engineering recently conducted the meeting of its Department Industry Consultative Board (DICB) on February 14th, 2024. The meeting, held at the Civil Auditorium, aimed to obtain feedback and insights from industry experts to enhance the quality of both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The meeting was attended by the department academic staff, including Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe, Head of the Department, and several top industry representatives. Discussions revolved around various topics, including the performance of graduates, improvements to the curriculum, and the current industry trends. Key outcomes included plans to improve students' practical problem-solving skills, enhance their communication abilities, and promote sustainability in engineering practices. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between academia and industry for the continuous improvement of engineering education.

The Thai Pongal Festival of the Department of Civil Engineering was held on the 19th of January 2024 from 09.00 am onwards at the Civil Engineering Department premises. The celebration was organized as part of the initiative by the Head of the Department, Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe, to promote social harmony within the Department. The event was coordinated by Mr. Mayooran Muralimanoharan under the guidance of Prof. (Mrs.) Chintha Jayasinghe and Dr. K. Baskaran. Department staff members and postgraduate students were invited to the festival. The event was scheduled with a presentation by Dr. K. Baskaran that included the religious perspective of Thai Pongal and provided insights into how Tamil people and Hindus celebrate it.

Professor Anura Nanayakkara and Professor Ruwan Weerasekera retired from their dedicated service to the University of Moratuwa on 30th September 2023. To felicitate the retirements of these two remarkable individuals, a farewell ceremony was held on 19th January 2024 at the Department of Civil Engineering. An alumnus of the University of Moratuwa, Professor Nanayakkara counts over forty years of uninterrupted service to the University, in the fields of teaching, research and consultancy. Professor Nanayakkara served as the Head of the Civil Engineering Department from 2013 to 2016. It was during his tenure as the Head of the Department, that the Department of Civil Engineering obtained full accreditation from the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka for its undergraduate degree which granted recognition among the Washington Accord signatories.

On December 8, 2023, the Transportation Engineering Division of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, hosted the 16th Transport Research Forum (TRF), which was a notable assembly of scholars, business leaders, and foreign specialists. With the goal of promoting cooperation and exchange of knowledge, the forum included three keynote addresses: Dr. Merkebe Demissie, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, on "Modelling the Demand for Dockless Electric Scooter Sharing Services", Dr. Ankit Gupta, Associate Professor and MoRTH Chair Professor, IIT (BHU), on "Performance Specifications for Balance Mix Design: Marshall Mix Design Approach", and Dr. Chaminda Basnayake, Principal Engineer, Locata Corporation, on "GNSS in Industrial Automation: Vulnerabilities and Search for Alternatives".

Dr. H. M. S. T. Herath from the Department of Civil Engineering embarked on a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD), spanning from 01st October to 31st December 2023. During this academic visit, Dr. Herath engaged in research work at the Department of Applied Mechanics of IITD. Dr. Herath continued his research works on physics-informed material constitutive modelling using Bayesian learning and used two-ply carbon fibre composites to validate the surrogate models. He also established connections with the Civil Engineering department of IITD for potential future research collaborations.