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TRANSCRIPT
Annual General Meeting 29-09-2013
Annual Report
1. IESL NSW Executive Committee IESL NSW Chapter’s fourth Executive Committee commenced its term on the 7
th of October
2012. Since then committee held eleven committee meetings, numerous working party
meetings and Skype meetings and worked on the strong foundation built by the three previous
committees. This year’s committee included the following:
• Kamal Fernando (Chair)
• Mahinda Karunaratne (Vice Chair)
• Maya Amaraweera (Past Chair)
• Waruna Kaluarachchi (Secretary)
• Priyadarshanie Weeraratne (Treasurer)
• Roy Abeygoonawardana (Editor)
• Dushmantha Thalakotuna (Webmaster)
• Udeshini Pathirage
• Maha Mahadeva
• Ananda Herath
• Sunil Wagasooriya
With the help of the members, well wishers and the sponsors, the committee was able to
deliver many outcomes as described below.
2. Memberships There is no separate membership for the Chapter. All members of the IESL living in NSW and
ACT are considered the members of Chapter. Since July this year membership renewals and new
memberships are undertaken via online through IESL website. Membership renewal notices are
automatically generated and sent to you by IESL.
At the moment there are 81 financial members in the IESL online directly who have been
registered as living in NSW and ACT. According to Chapter records there are over 100 members
registered in NSW. All members are encouraged to login to IESL website and update your
profiles to reflect your current situations.
NSW Australia Chapter P.O. Box 1239, Parramatta NSW 2124, Australia [email protected]
ABN: 90 045 281 529
3. Knowledge sharing lectures
During the year the committee was able to arrange the following three knowledge sharing
lectures facilitated by the committee member Ananda Herath. These lectures were held at the
Engineers Australia auditorium at Chatswood.
• Indra Jayawardene (NSW Public Works) – Ocean Swimming Pools
• Asanga Wanigatunga (VMware) – Cloud Computing
• Methsiri Aratchige (Origin Energy) – National Electricity Market
In each of these lectures the audience was presented with a range on new ideas to expand their
horizon. A summary of these lectures can be found at our website under past events. The
members and well wishers are encouraged to continue to attend and share their knowledge.
4. IESL NSW Young Engineers day
This year’s Young Engineers Day facilitated by the committee member Udeshini Pathirage was a
great success. The following three presenters shared their research findings at the Engineers
Australia Auditorium. A summary of these lectures can be found at our website.
• Darshana Perera (PhD candidate, University of Wollongong) - “Soft Soil Improvement
using Vacuum Preloading”
• Lashika Medagoda (PhD candidate, University of Sydney) - “Ocean Observation and
Navigation”
• Chaminda Konthesingha (Research Associate, University of Newcastle) - “Cyclic In-Plane
Shear Behavior of Unreinforced Masonry Wall Panels strengthened with NMS FRP Strip”
5. IESL NSW Newsletters
The Editor Roy Abeygoonawardana with the assistance from Udeshini Pathirage and Nalin
Seneviratne were able to issue four newsletters this year. The newsletters carried specialist
articles on locomotives (by Udaya Peeligama), St Marys recycled water plant (by Wasantha
Wickramanayake), Chair’s message and current IESL news etc. Copies of newsletters can be
found at our website. The members and well wishers are encouraged to write articles to future
newsletters.
6. IESL NSW Engineering Conference The Engineering Conference 2013 was a great success with large member participation and
attracting key public and private sector sponsorships. The Engineering Conference on 31st May
at the Engineers Australia Auditorium in Chatswood showcased the professional excellence and
contribution to NSW by our members. Five excellent presentations, shortlisted from 13
submissions received for Engineering Awards 2013, made the well-attended Conference an
informative and interesting experience.
President of IESL, Eng Tilak De Silva, in his Keynote Speech, provided an insight into the recent
developments in IESL.
7. IESL NSW Engineers Gala Dinner The Engineers Nite Gala Dinner on 1st June at Castle Grand, Castle Hill, attended by 300 guests,
was graced by the Sri Lanka Consul General, and the Presidents of IESL and Engineers Australia.
The event was filled with highlights from start to end, including the entertainment by ‘Drum
Beats’, presentation of Engineering Awards to five outstanding submissions, music by Fusive,
and a sumptuous buffet dinner. The Master of Ceremonies Duke Ramachandran kept the spirit
of the Gala Nite right at the top.
IESL President Eng Tilak De Silva talked about the improvements at IESL; membership
management, head office building, financial management and web site. Tilak also provided a
progress report on the initiatives for a legal framework for setting standards for practicing
engineers - currently awaiting Cabinet approval and improving engineering education
standards. He also stated that some delegation powers for membership functions will be
transferred to Provincial Chapters to reduce travel/ inconvenience for members.
The Keynote speech at the Gala Dinner was delivered by the National President of Engineers
Australia Dr Marlene Kanga. Dr Kanga talked about the important role of engineers and
engineering in Asian Century. She explained why the engineers with links to Asia especially
those who were born there have a major role in developing Australia’s strategy for greater
engagement with Asia. Dr Kanga also offered Engineers Australia’s assistance for Sri Lankan
Universities to obtain the full membership of Washington Accord.
8. IESL NSW Engineering Excellence Awards
Last year IESL NSW Chapter introduced Engineering Excellence Awards to recognise the
commitment of the engineers of Sri Lankan background living in NSW, for the wellbeing of the
community and the environment, and the innovative and excellent levels of engineering
solutions they deliver.
This year the Chapter extended Engineering Excellence Awards to three categories, namely Best
paper published, Best Innovation and Best Infrastructure development project. Thirteen very
high quality submissions were received from various fields of expertise. The submissions were
assessed by a selection panel based on the following criteria:
• Scope of the nominee’s involvement;
• Originality;
• Innovation;
• Value to the community;
• Solutions to an engineering challenge; and,
• Demonstration of excellence
This year’s Engineers Excellence Awards were presented at the Gala Dinner. The following
winners were selected by a panel comprising of Mahinda Karunaratne, Waruna Kaluarachchi,
Maha Mahadeva, Jayantha Katupitiya and Lal Wickramarachchi.
• Best paper published
Winner – Nayoma Tennakoon of University of Wollongong - The Role of Ballast - Fouling
Characteristics on the Drainage Capacity of Rail Substructure.
• Best Innovation
Highly Commended - Udaya Peeigama of Sydney Catchment Authority - Warragamba
Dam Crest Gate Upgrade.
Winner – Janaka Weeraratne of State Water Corporation - Fish River Water Supply
pipeline replacement project.
• Best Infrastructure Project
Highly Commended - Sanjeevi Sathianandan of RailCorp - Minnamurra railway bridge
retransoming.
Winner – Dilini Kumarasinghe, Rohini Ramachandran, Kandiah Tharumalingam of NSW
Public Works – Lithgow Sewerage Augmentation.
9. Our Sponsors This year the Chapter was able to attract very important sponsors from both private sector and
public sector. This is a recognition of IESL members’ contribution to NSW. This year’s sponsors
were:
• Gold Sponsor – NSW Public Works
• Silver Sponsor – Fulton Hogan
• Bronze Sponsors – Sydney Catchment Authority, SMEC, Aquatec-Maxcon, Dulux
10. First ever meeting between the Presidents of EA and IESL
One of the main objectives of the Chapter is to link with Engineers Australia and work towards
the mutual acceptance of the engineering degrees and charters between the two countries.
This year the Chapter was able to build a strong fruitful link with Engineers Australia.
Following the 2013 IESL NSW Engineering Convention on 31st of May and 1st of June, the
National President of Engineers Australia Dr Marlene Kanga arranged an official meeting
between the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka and Engineers Australia.
This is the first ever meeting between two presidents of the institutions and it opened doors for
further bilateral discussions in future. The meeting was held on 3rd of June at Engineers
Australia, Sydney office in Chatswood and attended by Dr Marlene Kanga, Eng Tilak De Silva, Mr
Rupert Grayston (EA Deputy Chief Executive Officer), Prof Robin King (EA Chair of Sydney
Accord), Dr David Robinson (EA Director Education and Assessment), Mr Richard Hanna (EA
Executive Operations Manager) and Eng Kamal Fernando. It was a very fruitful meeting and the
following topics were discussed.
• The process of getting the full accreditation of Washington Accord;
• Accreditation process in Sri Lanka and shortcomings;
• Engineers Australia’s E-charter process;
• Mutual promotion of activities and lecturers; and
• In long term mutual acceptance and recognition of degrees and charters.
During the meeting EA expressed the willingness to support the professional development of
the IESL members by running professional development workshops for them and to become
Chartered in Australia.
11. Working towards Washington Accord
The Washington Accord is an independent agreement for mutual recognition of accredited
engineering programs among a group of countries that was formed in 1989. There are two
levels of memberships in this group:
1. The Signatories – or full members – that consist of 14 countries including Australia,
UK, USA, Canada, and New Zealand.
2. The Provisional Members including Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Germany
and Russia.
Professional Engineers within the Signatory countries are mutually recognised as being of equal
status. This mutual recognition does not apply for Provisional member countries; however they
can work towards obtaining Signatory status.
As a result of facilitation by the Chair, IESL NSW Chapter, the National President of Engineers
Australia (EA) Dr Marlene Kanga, agreed to provide mentoring to IESL to work towards Sri Lanka
obtaining the Signatory Status. As the first step, EA allowed two IESL Observers to participate in
the assessment of several Engineering Programs of the University of Newcastle for
accreditation renewal for Washington Accord, held between 5th and 7th August 2013. Prof.
Niranjanie Ratnayake, Vice President IESL, and Eng Roy Abeygoonawardana, Committee
Member IESL NSW participated as observers. Following are the progress made as a result of
this participation:
1. A report on the lessons learnt from observation of the Accreditation Visit, provided
to IESL Chairman, Accreditation Board and President IESL. (August 2013)
2. A review of the IESL Engineering Program Accreditation Manual, and a report on
possible improvements. (6th September 2013)
3. Participation in a half day Program for IESL Accreditation Panel Members (for an
upcoming accreditation of several Engineering Programs in Sri Lanka). Both
Niranjanie and Roy (from Skype) shared their experiences from the observations of
the Accreditation Visit, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation.
IESL NSW Chapter will continue its drive together with EA and IESL, until achievement of the
ultimate objective of Sri Lanka becoming a Signatory to Washington Accord.
12. Assistance for newly migrant Engineers
A key objective of forming the IESLNSW Chapter is to assist recently migrated engineers from
Sri Lanka in finding suitable employment in Australia. One of the main problems they face is
the lack of knowledge of the Australian job application process.
An action plan has been drawn up by the committee member Sunil Wagasooriya in consultation
with the committee to introduce a sustainable mechanism to assist new arrivals in finding jobs
and it is being implemented. A section in the Chapter website has been dedicated to providing
useful initial information regarding the engineering profession in Australia, government-funded
job skill training courses and details of companies providing insurance cover for voluntary
employment.
Further, in recognition of the need of proper guidance in managing the individual’s job search
process, the Chapter has undertaken to build a register of potential mentors among the Sri
Lankan engineering community in NSW. When this is in full operation, job seekers will receive
individual support of an experienced engineer in NSW. It is expected that the mentor will guide
them in analysing job advertisements, preparation of job applications and facing job interviews.
In addition, when there is a sufficient number of job seekers available, the Chapter intends to
engage suitable resource personnel to conduct seminars/workshops on the Australian
workplace culture and other current topics helpful for job seekers
13. Book donation to University of Jaffna Engineering Faculty As part of helping engineering education in Sri Lanka, the chapter delivered 26 much needed
Civil Engineering text books to the Library of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Jaffna,
Kilinochchi. The books were delivered by an IESL delegation comprising of the president, the
president-elect, chairman of ICT committee and the president of IESL Northern Province. The
VC of the University of Jaffna and staff accepted the books at a small ceremony. The Chapter
Chair also attended the ceremony via Skype. The Chapter would like to thank the committee
member Maha Mahadeva who made a huge effort to make this book donation a reality.
Discussions are now underway with the Engineering Faculties of Moratuwa and Peradeniya, as
to how the Chapter can help those Institutions with the proceeds available from Engineering
Conventions.
14. Attendance at IESL Council meetings During the year IESL president and Council invited Chapter to attend the first part of the Council
via video conferencing. The Past Chair Maya Amaraweera attended the first video conferencing
with IESL Council and other provinces. This gives an opportunity for Chapter to raise any issues
needing attention of the Council.
15. Donations to IESL headquarters With part of the proceeds from Engineering Convention 2012, the Chapter was able to donate
$5,100 worth of equipment to the headquarters. The equipment which have now been ordered
in Sri Lanka include the following:
• iMac for video editing and multimedia activities
• HP LaserJet printer for SLEN and Certificate printing
• Three node NComputing system with screens for the library
• Apple final cut X pro for video editing
16. Working with IESL headquarters During the year under the guidance of the President Eng Tilak De Silva and the ICT Chairman
Eng. Arjuna Manamperi, the IESL undertook a major upgrading of their systems. These uplifts at
the headquarters allowed the Chapter to work very closely with them and achieve several
milestones.
As a response to a request made by the Chapter, IESL is in the process of streamlining the
Charter process. As the first stage of this initiative the candidates can now sit for Paper B in
Sydney under the supervision of the IESL NSW.
In addition online membership renewals and new applications are now possible through IESL
website http://www.iesl.lk/.
17. Improvements to Chapter website
Building on the upgrading work done by last year’s webmaster Pamal Dias, this year’s
webmaster Dushmantha Thalakotuna further enhanced the features of the Chapter website
http://www.ieslnsw.org
The website now contains upcoming and past events, IESL NSW newsletters, SLEN, Advice to
job seekers, Members’ area, Multi media portal, Discussion forums, Recommended readings,
useful links etc.
There is now a facebook page and a Twitter account as well making IESL NSW completely
present in the cyberspace. Furthermore, you are also invited to submit your project information
and photos for sharing the knowledge with the wider engineering community.
18. Knowledge sharing through IESL live streaming
During the year, the Chapter Chair was honoured by the opportunity to deliver the first ever
IESL live streaming lecture through Skype to an IESL audience in Colombo and Kandy and
several other countries such as Australia, USA and New Zealand. If you would like to share your
experience through live streaming from anywhere in Sydney, please write to the Chapter
Secretary.
19. Participation at Techno 2013
IESL’s Techno 2013 is due to be held in Colombo in October. The Chapter has decided to
sponsor a small booth highlighting road safety in Sri Lanka. This will include some printed
materials and videos borrowed from Transport NSW.
20. Financial Report
A separate audited financial report prepared by the Treasurer Priyadarshanie Weeraratne
forms a part of this Annual Report.
21. Suggestions for next year
The following is a summary of suggestions for next year. The successful delivery of these
outcomes should further improve the membership of IESL in NSW.
• Participate in Techno 2013 in October in Colombo
• Encourage members to use IESL and IESLNSW websites
• Maintain and strengthen the link with Engineers Australia
• Assist IESL to obtain the full membership of Washington Accord
• Actively assist migrant engineers
• Continue to recognise excellence in achievements
• Engage with sponsors and industry partners
• Continue to create opportunities for knowledge sharing
• Continue to work closely with IESL headquarters
The Executive Committee has once again lifted the bar at the Chapter. To be frank I was not
surprised by their professionalism but was amazed by their dedication and perfection. They are
a great team of engineers full of energy and talents and it was a great pleasure to work with all
of them. On behalf of all the members I would like to thank all of them and their families for
hard work they put in during the year.
Finally may I remind you that this is your Chapter and its relevancy depends on your
participation at all Chapter activities. It is a difficult truth to accept that the engineers are slowly
losing our place in the society. It can only be regained by making Engineering Institutions such
as EA and IESL more respected bodies. So renew your membership or re-obtain your
membership and come along with your colleagues to Chapter activities and be part of it.
I wish you all another great year.
Kamal Fernando FIEAust CPEng MIESL BScEng MEngSC
Chapter Chair, [email protected], 0438 632 716
29/09/2013
Notes 2013 2012
Statement of Financial Performance
For the year ended 30 June 2013
Income A$ A$
Fundraising Events
1 14,770.99 (6.85)
Membership Fees 2 3,114.00 1,365.00
Volunteer Member Contributions 668.00 544.00
Interest and other 51.79 323.13
Sponsorships - 1,500.00
18,604.78 3,725.28
Expenditure
Lecture Series 1,372.87 1,057.71
Book Donation 1,500.00 -
Administration and other 1,567.46 1,742.21
4,440.33 2,799.92
Transfers to Sri Lanka 3 4,090.00 1,530.00
(Deficit) / Surplus 10,074.45 (604.64)
Statement of Financial Position 2013 2012
As at 30 June 2013 A$ A$
Cash at Bank 15,190.60 5,116.15
Hall Deposit 1,000.00 1,000.00
16,190.60 6,116.15
Represented by
Accumulated Fund 16,190.60 6,116.15
Notes to Accounts
1 IESL Dinner A$ A$
Income
Ticket Sales 35,730.00 1,420.00
Souvenir 1,275.00 800.00
Sponsorship money 26,500.00 -
Other 360.75 300.00
63,865.75 2,520.00
Expenditure
Dinner - Catering 20,661.00 -
Souvenir Printing 2,876.00 -
Other 25,557.76 2,526.85
49,094.76 2,526.85
Net Income 14,770.99 (6.85)
2 Membership Fees
Membership Renewal 3,114.00 1,365.00
3,114.00 1,365.00
3 Transfers to Sri Lanka are used for IESL Membership reinstatements and renewals
4 Accounts are prepared on Cash Basis
Priyadarshanie Weeraratne Checked By
Treasurer Prabath Amarasinghe
2-Sep-13 2-Sep-13
IESL NSW Chapter
2013 Annual Account
Net Contribution from IESL Dinner
2013 IESL NSW Engineering Conference
2013 IESL NSW Conference was held at the Engineers Australia
auditorium in Chatswood on the 31st of May. It was well
attended and a showcase of our excellence and our
contribution to NSW. IESL NSW Chair Eng Kamal Fernando
welcomed the attendees.
IESL President Eng Tilak De Silva delivering the keynote
address talked about the improvements at
IESL; membership management, head office building,
financial management and web site. Tilak also provided a
progress report on the initiatives for a legal framework for
setting standards for practicing engineers - currently
awaiting Cabinet approval and improving engineering
education standards. He also stated that some delegation powers for membership functions
will be transferred to Provincial Chapters to reduce travel / inconvenience for members.
The first presentation at the conference was delivered by
Udaya Peeligama of Sydney Catchment Authority. Udaya
explained how the Crest Gates of the Warragamba dam
was upgraded recently. As part of a comprehensive
program of works for augmenting the flood handling
capacity of the Dam to 100% Probable Maximum Flood
capability, an upgrade of the Crest Gates was carried out
recently at a cost of $36.5m. Many innovative features
and solutions were developed during the upgrade, including hydraulic locking systems for
the Drum and Radial Gates, which are thought to be a “world’s first”. The project was
successfully put to the test when the Dam effectively passed the floods of March 2012.
The second presentation was made by Sanjeevi
Sathianandan of RailCorp. The Minnamurra Railway
Bridge is located on the South Coast line and was
constructed in 1924. Due to life-expired timber transoms
a renewal project was required. The delivery of this
project was critical for the integrity of the track structure
on the bridge. A cost benefit analysis was conducted and
replacement with Fibre-reinforced Foamed Urethane
(FFU) transoms was selected as it was the cheapest option, having a design life of 50 years
and similar properties to timber. The delivery was made complicated as the track had to be
handed back every second night for 8 hours for freight trains. A single track without any safe
place to work from, as well as being above the environmentally sensitive Minnamurra River
made construction extremely challenging.
The third presentation was made by Nayoma Tennakoon of
University of Wollongong. Nayoma’s presentation
described track drainage impairment due to ballast fouling
(contamination), which is a common problem in many
countries. A new parameter, “void contaminant index” for
quantifying the ballast fouling is introduced. A series of
large-scale constant head hydraulic conductivity tests were
conducted with different levels of fouling to establish the
relationship between the void contamination index and the associated hydraulic
conductivity. Subsequently, a numerical analysis was executed to simulate more realistic
two-dimensional flow under actual track geometry. In the context of observed test data, the
drainage condition of the track could be classified into different categories together with a
classification chart capturing the degree of fouling. The contents of this paper have already
been considered in track maintenance schemes in the states of Queensland and New South
Wales
Janaka Weeraratne presented how he managed the Fish
River water supply pipeline replacement project from end
to end. State Water project managed the $8 million Fish
River Water Supply pipeline replacement project which
involved replacing 3.7km of pre-stressed, concrete pipes
with steel pipes in the upper Blue Mountains region of
NSW. Communication, planning, innovation and a focus on
safety enabled the project team to overcome unique
challenges including mountainous terrain; ensuring continued water supply; working next to
a live water main; and incurring more than 50 days of wet weather. The project was
completed in April, 2012, on time and on budget with no lost time injuries.
Dilini Kumarasinghe of NSW Public Works presented the challenges
they made and how they are overcome to deliver Lithgow sewage
treatment plant augmentation project. The Lithgow Sewage Treatment
Plant Augmentation presented NSW Public Works with the challenge of
delivering a $20M project in a regional location while managing
adverse site conditions and a significant scope change during
construction. This project had a direct and positive impact on the
environment by significantly improving the quality of effluent
discharged into the receiving waterway. This is particularly important
in this instance, as the waterway discharges to the Sydney water supply
catchment. The project combined augmentation of a plant based on traditional trickling
filtration technology with a state of the art Intermittently Decanted Extended Aeration
(IDEA) process.
The Conference was facilitated by the IESL NSW Vice President Eng Mahinda Karunaratne
and the vote of thanks was delivered by the Secretary Eng Waruna Kaluarachchi.
The following sponsors were introduced by the Treasurer Eng Priyadarshanie Weeraratne.
Gold Sponsor Bronze Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
NSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia Chapter
2013 IESL NSW Engineering Excellence Awards
2013 IESL NSW Engineers Excellence Awards were presented at the Gala Dinner by the
President of IESL, National President of Engineers Australia and Chair of IESL NSW.
The winners were announced by the chairman of the
selection panel Eng Mahinda Karunaratne. The other
members of the panel included Eng Waruna
Kaluarachchi, Eng Maha Mahadewa, Associate
Professor Jayantha Katupitiya and Eng Lal
Wickramarachchi.
This year’s winners are:
Best paper published
Winner – Nayoma Tennakoon of University of
Wollongong - The Role of Ballast - Fouling
Characteristics on the Drainage Capacity of
Rail Substructure
Best Innovation
Highly Commended - Udaya Peeigama of
Sydney Catchment Authority - Warragamba
Dam Crest Gate Upgrade.
Winner – Janaka Weeraratne of State Water
Corporation - Fish River Water Supply
pipeline repla cement project.
Best Infrastructure Project
Highly Commended - Sanjeevi Sathianandan
of RailCorp - Minnamurra railway bridge
retransoming
Winner – Dilini Kumarasinghe, Rohini
Ramachandran, Kandiah Tharumalingam of
NSW Public Works – Lithgow Sewerage
Augmentation.
NSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia Chapter
2013 IESL NSW Gala Dinner
This year’s Gala Dinner was held on 1st
of June. It
was attended by 300 people including the Sri
Lankan Counsul General Ambassador Bandula
Jayasekera, President of IESL Eng Tilak De Silva and
the National President of Engineers Australia Dr
Marlene Kanga. The Gala Dinner was opened by
lighting the traditional Sri Lankan lamp by the above
guests, Chair of IESL NSW and the gold sponsor.
The Chair of the IESL NSW Chapter Eng Kamal Fernando
welcoming the attendees explained the objectives of the
2013 IESL NSW Convention. He explained that the
Engineering Conference is a showcase of our excellence
and our contribution to NSW and the Gala Dinner is the
time for celebration.
Ambassador Bandula Jayasekera pointed out the
relevancy of the convention’s theme; “Bridging
Colombo and Sydney”. He also made a commitment
for promoting increased participation of Engineers
from Sri Lankan diaspora in the development projects
in Sri Lanka.
IESL President Eng Tilak De Silva talked about the
improvements at IESL; membership management,
head office building, financial management and web
site. Tilak also provided a progress report on the
initiatives for a legal framework for setting standards
for practicing engineers - currently awaiting Cabinet
approval and improving engineering education
standards. He also stated that some delegation
powers for membership functions will be transferred to Provincial Chapters to reduce travel
/ inconvenience for members.
The Keynote speech at the Gala Dinner was
delivered by the National President of
Engineers Australia Dr Marlene Kanga. Dr
Kanga talked about the important role of
engineers and engineering in Asian Century.
She explained why the engineers with links
to Asia especially those who were born there
have a major role in developing Australia’s
strategy for greater engagement with Asia.
Dr Kanga also offered Engineers Australia’s
assistance for Sri Lankan Universities to obtain the full membership of Washington Accord.
IESL NSW secretary Eng Waruna Kaluarachchi
delivering the vote of thanks acknowledged the
generous support of the sponsors NSW Public
Works (gold), Fulton Hogan (Silver) and Bronze
sponsors Sydney Catchment Authority, SMEC,
Dulux and Aquatec-Maxcon.
2013 IESL NSW Engineers Excellence Awards were also presented at the Gala Dinner by the
President of IESL, National President of Engineers Australia and Chair of IESL NSW.
After a Sri Lankan spicy dinner, the
attendees were entertained by Drum Beats
with an African drum play. Then the floor
was open for the engineers and the spouses
to dance to the vibrating rhythm of Fusive.
The Master of Ceremonies Duke
Ramachandran kept the spirit of the Gala Nite
right at the top.
The IESL NSW Executive committee with the IESL President and the National President of
Engineers Australia at the Gala Dinner.
NSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia Chapter
First ever meeting between the Presidents of the Institution of Engineers
Sri Lanka and Engineers Australia
Following the 2013 IESL NSW Engineering Convention on 31st
of May and 1st
of June, the
National President of Engineers Australia Dr Marlene Kanga arranged an official meeting
between the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka and Engineers Australia. This is the first ever
meeting between two presidents of the institutions and it opens doors for further bilateral
discussions in future.
The meeting was held on 3rd
of June at
Engineers Australia, Sydney office in
Chatswood and attended by Dr Marlene
Kanga (National President of Engineers
Australia), Mr Tilak De Silva (President,
Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka), Mr
Rupert Grayston (EA Deputy Chief
Executive Officer), Prof Robin King (EA
Chair of Sydney Accord), Dr David
Robinson (EA Director Education and
Assessment), Mr Richard Hanna (EA
Executive Operations Manager) and Mr
Kamal Fernando (Chair IESL NSW).
It was a very fruitful meeting and the following topics were discussed.
1. The process of getting the full accreditation of Washington Accord;
2. Accreditation process in Sri Lanka and shortcomings;
3. Engineers Australia’s E-charter process;
4. Mutual promotion of activities and lecturers; and
5. In long term mutual acceptance and recognition of degrees and charters.
During the meeting EA expressed the willingness to support the professional development of
the IESL members by running professional development workshops for them and to become
Chartered in Australia.
EA also offered to arrange training for IESL members to become assessors for IESL Chartered
process (and possibly accreditation) for members in Sri Lanka. This would enable IESL NSW
Chapter members to support Sri Lanka in number of ways.
NSW Australia Chapter P.O. Box 1239, Parramatta NSW 2124, Australia [email protected]
ABN: 90 045 281 529
Following the above meeting Dr Kanga
also arranged a detailed discussion
between Mr Tilak De Silva and Mr Kamal
Fernando with Prof Robin King with
regards to the reviews and accreditation
processes. This discussion was very
informative for Mr De Silva and Mr
Fernando in understanding the
accreditation processes.
Prof King also advised that it may be possible to arrange two IESL representatives to attend as
observers at the next accreditation review undertaken by Engineers Australia in August. IESL
NSW Chapter in consultation with Engineers Australia staff will facilitate this process. The
following brief list of actions has been prepared for further action.
1. Prof King to discuss with Dr David Robinson the logistics of IESL representatives’
attendance as observers;
2. Mr Fernando to contact Dr Robinson and obtain confirmation for IESL representatives’
presence at the review to be undertaken in August at the University of Newcastle;
3. Mr De Silva to brief IESL staff and nominate one representative from Colombo. NSW
Chapter will nominate the second representative;
4. Following the review meeting, IESL representatives are to prepare guidelines in
consultation with Dr Robinson and Prof King on going forward for IESL;
5. All travelling arrangements of IESL representatives are to be made by IESL;
6. All costs involved in IESL representatives’ visits are to be borne by IESL.
The above two meetings have opened doors for further bilateral discussions between two
institutions and is a very important juncture for the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka. IESL NSW
Chapter wish to thank Dr Kanga for taking this initiative and arranging these two very important
meetings.
Prepared by
Kamal Fernando FIEAust CPEng MIESL MEngSc BScEng
Chapter Chair, [email protected], 0438 632 716
20/06/2013
IESL NSW donates text books to University of Jaffna Engineering Faculty
As part of helping engineering education in Sri Lanka, the IESL NSW Chapter delivered 26
much needed Civil Engineering text books to the Library of the Faculty of Engineering,
University of Jaffna, Kilinochchi. The Chapter Executive committee member Maha Mahadeva
in consultation with Dr. S.S.Sivakumar of the University of Jaffna coordinated the purchasing
and delivery of the books.
The books were delivered by an IESL delegation comprising of the President (Eng Tilak De
Silva), the president-elect (Eng Shavi Fernando), chairman of ICT committee (Eng Arjuna
Manamperi), the president of IESL Northern Province (Eng. N Suthakaran) and Secretary ( Eng. T.
Barathithasan). The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna Prof. (Ms) Vasanthy
Arasaratnam and her staff accepted the books at a small ceremony. The NSW Chapter Chair
(Eng Kamal Fernando) also attended the ceremony via Skype. Eng. Kandiah Mahadeva of the
NSW Chapter who meticulously selected the most useful books and coordinated its purchase in
Australia and transfer to Colombo couldn’t participate in the event, due to prior commitments.
Discussions are now underway with the Engineering Faculties of Moratuwa and Peradeniya,
as to how the Chapter can help those Institutions with the proceeds available from
Engineering Conventions.
NSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia ChapterNSW Australia Chapter
IESL NSW Chapter Lecture Series
The IESL NSW Chapter organised a successful series of lectures by engineering
professionals as well as young engineers in NSW.
The lecture series commenced in November 2012 with an inspirational presentation by
Eng. Indra Jayawardena titled “Ocean Swimming Pools”.
This attracted several engineers from non-Sri Lankan backgrounds, together with our
regular membership. The different layouts and the wave mechanics that contribute to
the functioning of these pools and the hydraulics and mathematical equations that
govern their behaviour were no doubt news to a lot of the audience. The case studies
of upgrades to several ocean swimming pools in NSW managed by Indra, provided
an insight to the intricacies involved, not only on the hydraulic and structural aspects,
but also on the human aspects such as the tolerable forces and wave heights for
average users. The physical modelling to determine the wave characteristics and
forces, used as input to the designs of these upgrades, were carried out at the Manly
Hydraulics Laboratory of NSW Public Works.
With Sydney being home to 29 ocean swimming pools, and the whole of Sri Lanka
having only two, one could not help but wonder how effectively Australia has
harnessed these forces of nature to the benefit of its citizens, compared to Sri Lanka.
This was amplified by the fact that, according to Indra’s assessment, there are
dozens of locations ideal for ocean swimming pools around the island. It was
heartening to see photos of some of Indra’s past adventures in Sri Lanka including
diving, boating, and long treks along the beach.
The second event in February 2013 on “Cloud Computi ng” was delivered by Asanga Wanigatunga Asanga gave a glimpse of what would happen in the future, with the opportunities
Cloud computing creates, and the exponential rates at which businesses are taking
up such opportunities. The audience, with a good number of engineers of non Sri
Lankan background, were eager to listen to the new developments happening with
the increasing use of smart phones and tablets, and the applications (apps) that
provide customised solutions by tapping onto various large data sets. The making or
breaking of business models due to changing (Disruptive) technology was
exemplified by the demise of encyclopaedia due to the spread of Wikipedia and
several such examples. The evolution of collaboration technology from telephones in
1950s, to faxes in 1970s, to emails in 1990s, and social media in 2010s, pointed to a
trend of paradigm shifts in technology roughly every 20 years. The ability of
businesses to tap into Cloud for data storage and for readily available apps for
functions such as administration, HR, and finance, provides both cost savings and
mobility, and the failure to do so may lead to business downturn due to non
competitiveness. Information security and the governance frameworks to mitigate
associated risks was also discussed, both in the context of Government policies, as
well as industry self regulation to win customer confidence.
Several real life examples from Asanga’s career in VMware were given where
considerable time and cost savings have been achieved in a variety of activites such
as law enforcement, health, and aviation.
The third lecture in September 2013 was on ‘nation al Electricity market (NEM)”
by Eng. Methsiri Aratchige.
This was a very informative session on a utility that is essential in our lives. Methsiri
explained the key components in getting electricity to our houses and industries –
from generation, transmission, to distribution - and also the evolution of the National
electricity market, from a fully Government owned enterprise in 1990, to the current
mix of private and public owned assets and operations. Interestingly, the first to
introduce competition by involving private sector was Victoria in early 1990s, which
then was adopted by NSW, Queensland and South Australia, encompassing all of
the Eastern States, and Western Australia and Northern Territory left out due to
tyranny of distance. The governance structure for the NEM, headed by the Council
of Australian Governments (COAG), operated by Australian Energy Market Operator
(AEMO) and regulated by Australian Energy Regulator (AER), looked quite robust in
assuring that all the activities and pricing is undertaken in a well controlled
environment.
The concept of electricity being traded through wholesale spot market called a “Pool”
was new information for most of the audience. Of more interest was the process of
bidding by the Generators, the Pool Price set every 5 minutes by the generator
supplying the marginal increase in demand, and both the customer paying and
generator getting paid this Pool Price. In addition to the complexities that Methsiri
illustrated such as: generator response times, minimum load levels, and failures; and,
transmission losses and limitations; one could only imagine the many other
complexities involved when he mentioned that the Pool Price is set by a series of
algorithms with about 30,000 equations! The other mechanism for buying and selling
electricity – Contract For Difference – or CFDs (which most of us knew applied in the
share market, but not for electricity) – enabled a level of price certainty for both the
buyer and the seller than the spot market, but carried some inherent financial risks in
case of even short term breaches to contract (such as generator failure).
A lively discussion followed, with the audience raising many difficult questions and
Methsiri answering them with his expert knowledge on the subject.
This year’s lecture series was coordinated by Ananda Herath
IESL NSW Young Engineers’ Day
IESL NSW Young Engineers’ Day is an opportunity for our young engineers to
showcase their talents. Three young engineers conf idently and articulately
delivered very high quality presentations providin g insight into three very
different areas of engineering. The lively Question & Answer sessions that
followed the presentations benefited both the audie nce - in getting more
information, and the presenters - with suggested im provements to their
research areas.
Darshana Perera, a PhD candidate at the Centre of Geomechanics and Railway
Engineering, University of Wollongong, gave the first presentation on “Soft Soil
Improvement using Vacuum Preloading”. Starting with some examples of historical
buildings that suffered irreversible damage due to ignoring soft soil improvements,
Darshana explained the benefits of using preloading, vertical drains, and vacuum
pressure to rapidly disperse pore water pressures thereby expediting consolidation
and improvement of soft soils. Darshana’s research work on secondary consolidation
/ creep settlement, and the analytical and numerical modeling using Finite Element
method to develop predictive models was also explained, with model outputs
validated through experimental results.
Lashika Medagoda, a post-defence PhD candidate at the Australian Centre for Field
Robotics, University of Sydney, gave the second presentation on “Ocean
Observation and Navigation”. Lashika explained the advantages of using
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AVU) for ocean observations over the more
conventional methods such as ships, buoys etc, however alluded to the issues
encountered with positioning and navigation of AVUs. Lashika’s research into
improving the positioning, navigation and ocean measurements by AVUs using a
combination of Ultra Short Base Lines and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers was
explained using diagrams and graphical presentations. The benefits from these
works to marine research, both in terms of cost savings and improved accuracy, are
enormous.
Chaminda Konthesingha, a Research Associate at the Centre for Infrastructure
Performance and Reliability, University of Newcastle, gave the final presentation on
“Cyclic In-Plane Shear Behaviour of Unreinforced Masonry Wall Panels strengthened
with NMS FRP Strips”. Chaminda demonstrated the vulnerability of unreinforced
masonry to seismic loadings using examples from the recent earthquake damaged
buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand. The methods of Fibre Reinforced Polymer
(FRP) strengthening using either external bonding or Near Surface Mounting (NSM),
and out of these the advantages NSM in maintaining aesthetics was explained with
diagrams. Chaminda’s experiments on cyclic lateral loading of NSM FRP on
damaged and new walls, and the resulting impacts on shear strength, displacement,
energy dissipation, and ductility proved that substantial improvements can be
achieved in strengthening existing unreinforced masonry against earthquake
loadings.
Young Engineers’ day was facilitated by two committ ee members Udeshini Pathirage and Dushmantha Thalakotuna