Subject: Meeting; building approvals & need of a new building code for Sri Lanka

organized by: institution of Engineers Sri lanka (IESL) & lead by Eng. M.A. Samad, Chairman of
CESC.

Venue: The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, No 120/15, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07.

Date: February 23rd, 2017

Time: 03.30 p.m. to 05.35 p.m.

Audience: Eng. W. Senanayake, the President of IESL Eng. Dudley Perera, Chairman of
Sectional committee of IESL. Eng. Sanjaya Silva, Deputy Secretary of Civil Engineering
Secretariat Office. Eng. Arunayapa Bandara, the Secretary of council committee of institution of
Engineers Sri lanka. Public of Engineers. Engineering students from universities.

This meeting was conducted by the corporate members of IESL. The Institution of Engineers Sri
Lanka is the multidisciplinary professional engineering institution in Sri Lanka. Also, there are
some newly joined members for this institution that pass-out from Universities & technical
colleges. The targeted addressees were that new civil engineering members.

The main speaker for this meeting was Eng. W. Senanayake. He is a qualified structural Engineer
(PG Dip in Structural Design) -Middle Rise - qualified to design buildings up to 12 floors &
experienced in civil Engineering-Water Resource Engineering.

This meeting was conducted not to address about how to approving a building, but discussed
about the present building approval and the need of a new building code for our country. Engineer
Samad begin the meeting with question of “Why we need approvals”. To answer this question, he
used the below collected data he obtained by his researches and past studies, 1. The Dehiwala-
Mount Lavinia Municipality has more than 4,000 unauthorized structures. 2 In a coastal belt
between Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte in Colombo’s southern suburbs, there were 1,800 ‘illegal
constructions. 3. All large-scale buildings with a possible critical impact on the built environment.
4. collapse of the 7-storey building in Wellawatte.

After discussed about current situation of buildings & construction industry, Engineer Samad
strikes talking about “Why UDA consider emergency evacuation routes & minimum safety level
for a building?” Then discuss was going into this importance of safety of a building. Carrying out,
or having construction or building work done, you may need to notify the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE). To find out more about the Construction safety he distributes a brief document
of CDM regulations (2015).

After explaining about background for building approval process he invited the main speaker Eng.
Senanayake.

Eng. Senanayake is one of the main relevant Engineer for talking about this topic.

In 1986, Eng. Mr. Seanayake is granted a degree from University of Moratuwa, past additional
director general of Sri lanka urban development authority, deputy director of RDA, a visiting
lecturer of University of Peradeniya and open university Sri Lanka. Also, he is a consultant in
survey department of Sri Lanka.

Summary of the main address by the main speaker Eng. W. Senanayake.

Engineer start the speech with giving a question to audience, He asked is what is the most
important things for getting approvals as an Engineer. Some new members had arguments on
that. He said that dissimilarity will be explained when progress during this meeting.

Then he described complexities in the approval process in Sri Lanka

Approval works can be complex, effecting on a more people, and having health and safety and
other wider suggestions. As an effect, a more approval has to take from more departments.
Generally, the number of approvals required for small houses also & Sri Lankan building
regulation is hard to use for island wide, because its having some issues with the size,
complexity and sensitivity of the proposed works. Casual check

Also, there are overlapping in departments and some authorities, problems with instructions,
clashing of regulations & gaps of agreements, it will be useless effort to undo this to making a
good system. The workable approach would be creating a new code of practice for design and
building construction and it will be legalize in all over the Sri Lanka. This needs complete and step
by step approach. Eng. Senanayake has a confidence in the UDA, as the principal department
for delivering development approvals .So they should take the leadership role to develop the
integrated building code for Sri Lanka.

Then he talks about what happen in Sri Lanka construction industry.

He says Sri Lanka is lucky, because not having to observer major disaster in terms of building
collapse or failures due to lack of structural integrity and lack of fire compliance measures in place.
Eng. Senanayake worn to everyone involved and say disaster is coming fast, at the rate of
unauthorized buildings are being built.

It is alarming to see how unplanned buildings are existence built in Colombo. He Sayed a practical
thing for us, run Google street view along our roads and compare it with that of a road in a
developed & industrialized country like USA, to understand how deprived the building planning
and construction regulations are how applied into our country. It is easy to notice obvious different
things such as the trespass on road reserve by owners, unreliable planning limitations or
restrictions on fire protection passageways between buildings, unauthorized embellishments to
existing properties, etc. Many buildings don’t have suitable driveway entries and standards. Law
quality construction can be noticeable even to naked eye.

On a daily basis, public people are moderately active, poorly designed, also insecure buildings.
Unfortunately, problems and injuries faced by the people due to deficient 2nd quality construction
go unseen and the responsible officers or persons move on without punishment. But modern
countries treat equally to all. Also, he Sayed common buildings of Sri lanka, not having a suitable
access path arrangement for the disable or elder people to going functional places of buildings.
Many developed countries have accessible requirements to include their building codes to go any
places for people with special needs.

He answered here the question he raised stating in the lecture. So as engineers we want to come
up with most suitable designs for all the type of people in Sri Lanka is much needed. So that the
engineers must take accountable and responsible on themselves.

Finally, Engineer explained the new code of practices chances that can practice in Sri Lanka
based on the way of designing. Sri Lanka is planning to remove all unauthorized structures by
2030 and build well-planned buildings entirely all over the country. But according to him the
problem is the need of new code of practice for doing this.

By explain it all He finish his lecture with it.

Discussion

After the Eng. Mr. Dissanayake asked these audience to ask any question on meeting session.

An Engineer student in the audience raised up a question to how long it will take to set a new
code of practice?

Eng. Mr. Dissanayake answered it as the can set a new Building Code of Sri Lanka within three
years. Of course, the ultimate decision and the taking of leadership role rest with an authority like
Urban Development Authority, Sri Lankan Civil Engineers, Electrical, mechanical Engineers and
professional institutions like the Institution of Engineers and the Institution of Architectures. Also,
planned to get support from overseas Sri Lankan engineers for this work, at least by emails.

Conclusion

The new code of practice, professionals have to make the first draft code and trial & test it by
construction professionals. After that as a prototype, Sri Lankan Engineers can use the Building
Code of Australia. Then, the draft should be mentioned to a UDA permitted draftsman to
substantiate its capable of being enforced as a Code of Practice countrywide.

Before concluding this meeting session Eng. M.N.A. Samad invites to Eng. Sanjaya Silva,
Chairman of Council committee of IESL to deliver the vote of thanks. was thankful to Eng.
Senanayake, the keynote speaker for his attendance to deliver the main lecture. Finally, informed
about the next meeting on sustainable construction problems in Sri Lanka, conduct by Eng.
Charith idalgashinne on Wednesday, 8th of March, 2019.