නවතම පුවත්

Landslide Technical Forum – 2023

Main Symposium at BMICH

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO), in collaboration with the International Consortium on Landslides (I.C.L.), has organized a symposium on the "Development of Early Warning Technology for Rapid and Long Traveling Landslides" (Project RRLL). Project RRLL is a five-year research project initiated in 2020 between I.C.L. and NBRO under the framework of the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), a Japanese government program promoting international joint research.

The symposium was successfully held on the 25th of August, 2023, at the Jasmine Hall of BMICH premises. This significant event was filled with renowned experts from Japan and NBRO scientists in landslide research and early warning systems.

The inauguration session started with a remarkable speech by project leader NBRO, Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardene, Director General of NBRO. Afterwards, Ms. Yuri Ide, the senior Representative of the JICA Sri Lanka Office, addressed the audience. Further, Mr. Takashi Asaeda, Research Supervisor, SATREPS, J.S.T., delivered the prerecorded greeting message. Also, the greeting messages were delivered by Mr. Athula Karunanayake, Director General of the Department of Meteorology, and Mrs. Anoja Senevirathna, Director - Mitigation, Research & Development. Moreover, a brief introduction of the "Project RRLL" highlighting the achievements obtained so far was presented by the Project Leader, I.C.L., Prof. Kazuo Konagai, at the end of the symposium's first session.

The following three sessions mainly concentrated on the technical and social applications of the RRLL project and shared all the essential findings throughout their project RRLL Journey.

Five presentations in Session No. 2 were about the individual core technologies vital for the RRLL Early Warning, precise one-day-in-advance prediction of rains in the mountains, and RRLLs.

These presentations were then followed by a demonstration, in Session 3, of the Augmented Reality (A.R.) software that allows stakeholders an interactive experience that combines the real world (geographic information of pilot study sites) and computer-generated content (predicted rains and RRLLs). The other presentations in Session 3 were about activities to refine the developed technologies and questionnaire surveys whose results will help implement the developed Early warning System in local communities, D.S. divisions, D.O.M., and the other entities concerned.

Last but not least, presentations in Session 4 highlighted future tasks and things we should remember for sustainable and rational disaster prevention measures. They were about technology transfer and the increasing seismic activity witnessed on the island, which has never been in the World's earthquake-prone area.

After the informative discussions, Dr. Jayathissa, Project Manager and Director of LRRM Division NBRO delivered the final remark on the first day of the symposium and welcomed all the participants to the second day of the symposium at the main auditorium of the NBRO.

Mini-Symposium at NBRO

The second day of the symposium was the venue for young Sri Lankan scientists who have been studying hard in Japanese universities and those who have been working hard with Japanese experts with expertise in weather and RRLL forecasts, seismic monitoring, etc., all are vital for the RRLL Early Warning. The presentations of their proactive activities, comprising the heart of capacity building and sustainable technology transfer, are indeed what we can count on.

Highlights of Main Symposium

Highlights of Mini Symposium

NBRO Newsletter | Volume 18 - Issue 01

NBRO Newsletter | Volume 18 | Issue 01     ABOUT US..... National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) is a leading research & development institution in the country and a reputed technical services provider in the fields of geotechnical engineering, landslide risk management, human settlements planning, environmental monitoring, building materials research, and engineering project management.   Visit Us > DEAR READERS... We are proud to welcome you to read the NBRO Newsletter which covers the Key activities initiated by National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) during the during the first half of the year 2023.   Over the past thirty five years, NBRO provided a platform to policy makers, professionals, scholars and practitioners to discuss and share their views and experiences on emerging building technologies, settlement planning, and Disaster Risk Reduction. As such, this year also NBRO engaged in numerous research and development activities which aimed at creating a safer built environment. Further, as a leading institute in Sri Lanka, NBRO provides consultancy services and testing, analysis services, structural and construction project management in the fields of environment studies and services, building material research and testing, and geotechnical engineering. Hence, we are happy to invite you to join hands with NBRO by the means of R&D or collaborative consultancy works for creating a safer built environment. This Newsletter presents a myriad of articles on the subjects of DRR, resilient housing, building materials, and sustainable environment etc. We sincerely hope that the readers will enjoy reading this edition of Newsletter. We welcome your feedback and ideas for future actions of NBRO. Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardena Director General     INTRODUCING GEOAi LAB Revolutionising Resilient & Sustainable Built Environment by the Human Settlement Planning and Training Division (HSPTD)   Geospatial & Intelligence Laboratory (GEOAi Lab) at the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) is making waves in the field of resilient and sustainable built environment. Under the astute leadership of Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardena, Director General of NBRO, the GEOAi Lab comprises an impressive team of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Analysts, Cartographers, Visualization Experts, IT & Database Administrators, and Software Developers/Programmers, trained in geomatics, geography, statistics, computer science, and engineering.   The GEOAi Lab's cutting-edge services have been of garnering attention both locally and internationally. Among its remarkable offerings are drone-based geospatial data acquisition, processing, and analysis. Leveraging state-of-the-art drone technology, the team is able to collect precise geospatial data, providing critical insights for various projects. Read More >   EMPOWERING LANDSLIDE RESILIENCE Embracing the Smart Office Concept for Effective Risk Management   "Over the last two decades, landslides have become the most prominent hazard in the central highlands of the country bringing about huge life and property losses. As a result, role of NBRO has become increasingly important, and the growing workload has made NBRO feel the need for an easily manageable, operational and documentation system. To cater the said requirement, an Information Management System by the name of LIMS (Landslide Information Management System) has been recently developed by the LRRMD."   National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) operating under the purview of Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Defence, stands as a premier institute reputed for its work related to research, development, technical consultancy and testing services. Equipped with a skillful staff inclusive of many geologists, it is also the pioneering institute for landslide research and risk management in the country to date, and the Landslide Research & Risk Management Division (LRRMD) has been the powerhouse and driving force behind NBRO in the endeavor. Amongst the multiple tasks performed by NBRO in this regard are landslide hazard zonation mapping, field investigations, issuance of early warning, creating awareness, developing safe construction guidelines, landslide risk mapping, land-use planning, policies development and structural mitigation of landslides. In addition, the LRRMD also provides the unique service of performing all kinds of landslide investigations/risk assessments and issuing clearance for construction/development plans in landslide prone areas. Read More >   ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BUILDING CODE FOR SRI LANKA     During the stakeholder consultation programme   "Development of a unified national Building Code for Sri Lanka has been identified as a priority in order to make sure a safer and a disaster resilient built environment in the country."   Government of Sri Lanka lead by the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and Urban Development Authority (UDA) is in the process of development of a Unified National Building Code for Sri Lanka under the Technical Assistance of the World Bank.   Accordingly consultation program of key professional institutions was held successfully on 18-05-2023 at NBRO auditorium with the participation of the representatives from CIDA, NBRO, UDA, Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA), Institute of Town Planners Sri Lanka (ITPSL), Society of Structural Engineers Sri Lanka (SSESL) and Sri Lanka Geotechnical Society (SLGS).   Subsequently, a technical mission including a two days stakeholder workshop and a focus group discussion was held successfully on 21st and 22nd of June 2023 at the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka with the participation of built environment stakeholders representing key public agencies, professional institutions and private sector.     During the stakeholder workshop   During the stakeholder workshop       Read more > We Invite Built Environment Professionals of Sri Lanka to Participate in Following Survey The purpose of this survey is to gather information to understand the current practices of built environment professionals in the use of codes and standards, to identify areas of awareness raising, training and capacity building required for effective implementation of a new Building Code in Sri Lanka in the future.     Please click on following link or scan the QR code to access the survey. Survey Link: http://bit.ly/sl-code-survey Please share widely among your networks in the built environment industry. Thank you for your participation!     Vanderbilt University - USA research team on their visit at NBRO   DYNAMIC RESEARCH ALLIANCE NBRO and Vanderbilt University Unite to Explore Implications   "NBRO Collaboration with Vanderbilt University to Conduct a Research Implication – Climate Change on agriculture & hydro-power generation in Mahaweli Complex for building resilient settlements." The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and the Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, USA plan to implement a collaborative research project in Sri Lanka.The project, entitled "Policy - Infrastructure - Community Interdependency: The Next Frontiers in Dynamic Network" seeks to evaluate the dynamic and uncertain interdependencies between the agricultural and hydropower generation sector with a case study of the Mahaweli Complex. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop policy recommendations for enhancing the interdependencies between the two networks and improving the overall resilience of the Mahaweli Complex. Read More >   BUILD BACK BETTER SRI LANKAN LIVES with the ICL-SATREPS Project     Japanese researchers during the installation of meteorological observation equipments   "Sri Lanka of the need for an advanced early warning system and proactive disaster management mechanism to build back better the Sri Lankan lives"   Due to hydro-meteorological risks, global climate change and extreme rainfall occurrences have escalated into major problems across the globe. These tragedies have a tremendous impact on both the number of lives lost and the quality of those human lives. Recent calamities caused by RRLLs (rain-induced rapid long-travelling landslides), like the Aranayaka incident in 2016, Swallowed 125 lives and the Athweltota RRLL disaster also occurred in 2017, resulting in 9 fatalities. This resulted from the presence of this concealed unstable soil mass and the fact that the run-out distance is unpredictable and impossible to stop once it begins to slide, both of these incidents served as a reminder to Sri Lanka of the need for an advanced early warning system and proactive disaster management mechanism to build back better the Sri Lankan lives. The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) jointly launched the SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) project in 2020 to begin this massive paradigm in adaptation to climate change and develop the assessment of disaster risk reduction in Sri Lanka. Read More >   Mr. Laksiri Indrathilaka - Senior Geologist at NBRO delivering a lecture   EXPLORING SYNERGIES Naval & Maritime Academy's Civil Engineering Mechanics Embark on a Transformative Environmental and Educational Excursion to NBRO   On May 11, 2023, a group of officers and sailors enrolled in the Petty Officer qualifying course at the Naval & Maritime Academy in Trincomalee embarked on a visit to the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO). The purpose of their visit was to gain insight into the various divisions housed within NBRO. The participants were first given several lectures on NBRO's role in DRR. They learned about the organization's history, its mandate, and its various programs and projects. They also learned about the importance of DRR and the role that NBRO plays in helping to build a more resilient Sri Lanka. During this visit, the participants were granted the unique opportunity to explore NBRO's state-of-the-art ISO Standard laboratories, including the Building Material and Testing Laboratory, Geo-Technical Engineering Laboratory, and Environment Studies and Service Laboratory. This hands-on experience allowed them to witness firsthand the exceptional laboratory services provided by NBRO. Read More >   Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardena exchaching the MOU with Mr. Dennis Mombauer    NBRO AND SLYCAN TRUST SIGN MOU to collaborate on Climate Change and Settlement Adaptation and Building Resilience   The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and SLYCAN Trust, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a range of issues related to climate change, sustainable development, biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, and other related thematic areas. The MOU was signed by Eng. (Dr.) Asiri Karunawardena, Director General of NBRO, and Dennis Mombauer, Director of SLYCAN Trust, on May 10, 2023. The purpose of the MOU is to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration between the parties in areas of common interest related to climate change, landslide risk, human mobility, loss and damage, sustainable development, resilience-building, economic empowerment, stakeholder engagement, and related thematic areas. Read More >   MANUAL RAIN GAUGES DEVELOPED BY NBRO     "Manual rain gauges were initially imported from foreign countries, but with the current import limitations and foreign exchange challenges within the country, it is increasingly challenging future imports as well. With this context, NBRO began designing and manufacturing of manual rain gauges in the NBRO that meet the required standards and highest quality."   Sri Lanka is recognized as vulnerable to climate change impacts, ranked 100th of 181 countries in the 2017 ND-GAIN Index. Unpredictable variability of rainfall patterns in the country could probably be due to global climate change with the increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. Floods, landslides, and drought are causing significant human, environmental, and economic losses which seriously affect the GDP of the country hence, there is an urgent need and essential requirement of reducing human and economic damages by managing these disaster risks in the country through early warning based on reliable rainfall prediction.                     A rain gauge developed by NBRO   Designing and Manufacturing Team:     R Ruhunuge Scientist Environmental Studies and Services Division Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.        Kasthuri Nalin Civil Engineer Environmental Studies and Services Division Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Read more >   WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR RESEARCH? Workshop on Scientific Writing and Publishing in Disaster Risk Related Subjects       The National Building Research Organisation hosted a workshop focused on scientific writing and publishing for researchers in disaster risks and related subjects on 24th July 2023. The workshop was led by Prof. Dilanthi Amarathunga and Prof. Richard Haigh from the University of Huddersfield, UK, who are also esteemed editors of the International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, the workshop covered key aspects of the publishing process.   Participants were enlightened on the significance of publishing research, not only as an obligation but also as an opportunity to contribute to the academic community, inspire peers, and advance disaster resilience understanding.   Workshop Participants   Awarding of token of appreciation Read more >   REACH THE TEAM (EDITORIAL)   Chinthaka Rathnasiri | Director - HSPTD Anuruddha Vijekumara | Scientist Chathuranga Kumarasiri | Scientist Pasindu Wickramasinghe | Scientist   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.       Contact Us NATIONAL BUILDING RESEARCH ORGANISATION 99/1,Jawatta Road,Colombo 05. TP: +94 112 588 946/+94 112 501 834 FAX: +94 112 502 611 EMAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   ​      ​​      ​​      ​

Town & Country Planning Undergraduates Successfully concluded their Internship Programme at NBRO

A completion session on Internship Programme of four undergraduates from the Department of Town & Country Planning, University of Moratuwa was held on 31^st July 2023, at the National Building Research Organization. The interns presented their exposure and experiences gained during the internships period for 04 months from 20th March 2023.

We wish all the best for their future endeavors.