Irrigation and income-poverty alleviation: a comparative analysis of irrigation systems in developing Asia

Poverty / Measurement / Income / Expenditure / Households / Irrigation systems / Asia / Indonesia / Pakistan

Implications of alternate irrigation water charging policies for the poor farmers in developing Asia: a comparative analysis

Irrigation water / Water rates / User charges / Pricing / Poverty / Water allocation / Water rights / Water delivery / Water distribution / Irrigation canals / Bangladesh / China / India / Indonesia / Pakistan / Vietnam

A farmers’ company for better price: The case of Chandrika Wewa Farmer Company, Sri Lanka

Farmers associationsCollective actionInstitutionsIrrigation programsMarketingCreditFertilizers

Significance of spatial variability of strength properties of deep cement mixed columns on the stability of embankments

The research work presented in this thesis begins with a study on the post-yield strain-softening behaviour of isolated DCM soil specimens. The consolidation behaviour of DCM soil specimens was numerically simulated using a strain-softening incorporated constitutive model. The results indicated that the numerical model can accurately predict the performance of DCM soil beyond yielding. Then the behaviour of highway embankments improved using DCM technique and loaded in the post-yield region was simulated using 3D and 2D numerical models. The conversion into a plane-strain model based on the equivalent area approach was identified as the best approach to simplify a 3D problem when DCM columns experience post-yield softening. Next, the efficiency of different DCM column configurations on preventing post-yield softening and improving the performance of embankments constructed on soft soil deposits was investigated. DCM wall type improvement, individual DCM columns arranged in a square pattern, individual DCM columns arranged in a triangular pattern, T-shaped DCM columns and application of geosynthetic reinforcement were evaluated under this section

Development strategy for the irrigation sector of Sri Lanka 2006-2016

Irrigation management / Development plans / Policy / Operations / Maintenance / Rehabilitation / Investment planning / Watersheds / Institutional development / Sri Lanka / Mahaweli Project

An Interplay Between Sri Lankan Employees and South Korean Employers: Conflicting Priorities, Attitudes, and Cross-Cultural Perceptions in a 3-D Workplace

This ethnographic study examined the lived experiences of Sri Lankan 3D workers in South Korea. The purpose was to explore the interplay between unskilled Sri Lankan employees and Korean employers to gain a deeper understanding of critical factors that enhance or hinder optimal performance and to propose HRD interventions to engross expatriate labor meaningfully into host country workplace effectively. The research addressed three research questions. First, what is the type of work relationship prevailed between Korean employers and Sri Lankan workers who engage in 3-D work? Second, what cultural elements are more prominent in their interactions between Korean employers and Sri Lankan workers? And third, what other factors influence the performance of Sri Lankan employees who engage in 3-D work? This paper discovered the hidden realities, factors that obstruct the optimal performance, life experience, and the nature of relationships between Korean employers and Sri Lankan employees in Korean industries. Twenty-one participants who had more than three years of working experience in Korean industries provided rich information that reveals the workplace hidden realities. Emerging themes are presented as five constituents: “attitudes towards Korean bosses and their self,” “frustration,” “discrimination at workplaces,” and “performance barriers.” While highlighting critical factors that hinder performance in a 3D workplace, the authors discuss research implications and practice while proposing remedial policy and HRD measures that the Korean and Sri Lankan governments, Korean employers and Sri Lankan 3D workers in Korea would be able to benefit from

FLAW ANALYSIS ON GLASS FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC INSHORE PETROL CRAFT HULL USING PULSE ECHO TECHNIQUE

The Glass fiber Reinforced Plastic (GRP) material is considered as the most prominent material for small boat industry due to the convenience of workmanship and light weight. Although the technology of GRP boat construction has been developed immensely for the last three decades, the technology related to the periodic assessment of GRP hull has not been developed in the same way compared to the steel and aluminum boat construction industry due to the inhomogeneous nature of the GRP structure. At the designing stage of GRP boat, number of factors such as compressive modulus, tensile modulus, ultimate flexural strength, ultimate compressive strength and ultimate tensile strength will be considered in order to meet the level of performance expected by the end user. However the deterioration of the boat structure with the age, reduces the level of confidence to deploy the boat under same role. In general flexural strength of GRP is measured destructively. However the destructive tests make the structure unusable, as such this study focuses on estimating flexural strength through nondestructive method with the aid of ultrasound technology. The objective of this study; is to develop two independent relationships such as “Number of repeated blows Vs. Percentage Echo height” and “Number of repeated blows Vs. Flexural strength” using the data obtained from selected specimens. These specimens were obtained from the most prominent areas of damages expected on a GRP hull. These were then narrowed down to a single relationship; that is “Percentage Echo height Vs. Flexural strength”

EFFECT OF END ANCHORAGE ON CFRP STRENGTHENED CONCRETE BEAMS

Reinforced concrete structures are often being subjected to modifications and improvements during their service life. The main causes for improvements are design errors, changes in use, degradation due to corrosion of reinforcing steel, damage due to seismic loads, vehicular impact and excessive wear and excessive loading. Precautions for these issues are mainly in two types; repair and strengthening. Restoring the structures which became structural malfunction is known as repair. Improvements done in structures in order to achieve higher service loads or longer service lives are known as strengthening. As far as strengthening techniques are concerned, concrete jacketing, steel jacketing, precast concrete jacketing, prestressed concrete jacketing and external application of Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials are the available upgrading methods. Structural strengthening with fibre reinforced polymers is a popular strengthening technique worldwide, due to its extensive advantages. The important properties of FRP’s are high strength, light weight, good rigidity, corrosion resistance, high elastic modulus etc. FRP’s are used to improve structures by means of increasing flexural capacity, enhancing shear capacity and confining concrete columns to improve axial compression load carrying capacity. When flexural strengthening with FRP is concerned, research studies show that a significant strength increment can be achieved with use of CFRP sheets as an external reinforcement. It also improves serviceability of structures. Failure of a CFRP strengthened beam for flexure can be due to flexure, shear, concrete crushing or debonding. The failure modes can be categorized in to two main types; classical failure and premature failure. Failure of an element due to yielding of steel bars, tensile failure of FRP sheets and crushing of concrete in compression zone are known as classical failure. Failure of element in any other method such as debonding of FRP, peeling off of FRP and concrete cover separation are premature failure modes. End debonding is the most common failure mode which has been experienced in practice. This mode of failure, limits the capacity by 60% to 80% of ultimate capacity (Mostofinejad 2014, Xiong 2007) of the system and induce sudden failure without prior warning. Different methods have been proposed in literature to delay end debonding. They are Mechanical fasteners, FRP pin and pan shape anchors, Near Surface Mount reinforcement, End wraps and use of wire mesh–epoxy composite. Among these techniques, end wraps are more beneficial since it contribute to shear capacity of the beam and help to improve ductility apart from preventing debonding failure. Although these techniques are advantages, they are not popular in the industry due to lack of technical data to quantify the effects. Previous research studies emphasise the need of proper design method to predict the strength enhancement gained due to end wraps. There are few studies ( Sawada et al,2003 Hawileh et al. 2013) carried out to investigate the interaction between resistance to debonding and the strength gain. Moreover, studies conducted in tropical countries are even less. This has lead to less confidence of using this technique by practicing engineers. Although there are several design guides available on design of externally bonded FRP systems, none of these guides address the effect of end anchorage on flexural strength gain. This study investigates the effect of end anchors on enhancing flexural capacity of reinforced concrete members, flexural strengthened with CFRP sheets. An extensive experimental program was carried out using reinforced concrete beams to understand the failure behaviour, stress distribution, deflection behaviour and flexural strength enhancement. It was observed that 98.53% strength increment could achieved by thespecimens flexural strengthened with CFRP external reinforcement over control specimens. When the flexural strengthened beams were anchored at the ends, the strength enhancement was 145% compared with that of unstrengthened beams. It was also observed that strain levels at the ends of longitudinal CFRP strips reduces significantly, when end wrap anchorage is provided. End debonding can be fully prevented by providing sufficient amount of end anchorage. The failure mode of beams changed from cover debonding to CFRP rupture, in existence of end wraps. A new theoretical model was developed based on experimental observations, design guidelines and data collected literature. It is capable of predicting both failure load and failure mode of flexural strengthened and end anchored beams. The model was compatible with experimental results of current study as well as experimental results collected from literature. Two papers were published from the work of this study and are attached in appendix E

Analysis of relations between covariance weights and corresponding maximum Eigen values

This paper studies on how to get an idea through maximum eigen values, when allocating weights to covariance matrix. The eigen density distribution with respect to the largest eigen value is analysed. This study will help to determine the fluctuation of the eigen distribution with respect to allocated weight of the covariance matrix. This can be used to develop the classic portfolio asset allocation model by adding investors‘ ideas as parameters or weights. The maximum eigen value is 2.24 and the corresponding weight is 1.6, the minimum eigen value is 0.24 and the corresponding weight is 0.9. There are two peaks of the eigen values at 0.62 and 2.24 respectively 0.5 and 1.6 of weights. Two minimum points identified with corresponding eigen values are 0.43 and 0.24 respectively 0.2 and 0.9 of weights. For comparison the density function is plotted with Q = 3.22 and variance 0.85: this theoretical value was obtained assuming that the matrix is purely random except for its highest eigen value. The fact that the lower edge of the density is strictly positive (Except for the Q = 1); then there are no eigen values between 0 and the minimum eigen value

Pro-poor intervention strategies in irrigated agriculture in Asia: poverty in irrigated agriculture: issues and options: Indonesia

Irrigated farming / Poverty / Institutional development / Irrigation management / Colonialism / Policy / Privatization / Hydrology / Climate / Cropping systems / Soils / Participatory rural appraisal / Performance indexes / Crop production / Costs / Households / Income / Expenditure / Irrigation systems / Operations / Maintenance / Water users’ associations / Financing / Constraints / Indonesia