Dr. Chinthaka Fonseka, the Principal Structural Engineer at Stantec Australia Pvt Ltd, delivered a guest lecture on Conceptual Design at the Auditorium, Department of Civil Engineering on 2nd February 2023. The lecture was attended by the staff of the department and full-time research students.
Dr. Fonseka is an alumnus of the University of Moratuwa, and he has won the UNESCO gold medal for the best student in 1984. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Southampton, England in 1990. Following his doctorate, he joined as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa. From 1997 onwards, he works in the capacity of a Senior Structural Engineer at Cardno, Australia, engaging in concept and detail design of structures, project management, and budget and financial management.
Dr. Fonseka’s guest lecture was based on the practical aspects of conceptual design and actual projects were used as examples to provide insights into the real-world application of conceptual design principles. The lecture was so beneficial, interesting and informative, and it was decided to repeat the same lecture for undergraduate students as well. This will immensely help in their final year Comprehensive Design Project (CDP) and in Semesters 2 & 3 newly introduced Conceptual Design module.
