3.
The use of a vibrating roller to compact concrete, with a low water
cement ratio, which could not be compacted by vibration. First used
in compaction of 'in situ' concrete of shallow depth in composite deck
slabs in jetties using inverted T prestressed concrete beams placed
side by side in 1949. The process of compaction of lean dry mixes with
vibrating rollers, now known as 'Roll Crete" is used widely in
the construction of dams and roads.
4.
The construction of large span roofs, in 1956, using pitched post tensioned
beams with a high ratio of centre depth to depth at ends, which cannot
be lifted at the ends due to instability, or from the middle due to
failure by cantilever bending. The problem was solved by installing
the roof purlins joining the upper flanges of an adjacent pair of beams
and connecting their bottom flanges with a few struts! ties, resulting
in a stable space frame at ground level. The roof structure was erected
by jacking up using jacks at the ends and guided by the columns. The
first roof structure built in 1956 had a span of 100 ft. and subsequent
roofs have spans up to 130 ft.
5.
The construction of cylindrical concrete shell roofs by the assembly
of small thin concrete slabs by means of an orthogonal system of post
tensioning to form the shell surface. Shuttering for the shell, steel
placing and 'in situ' concreting are avoided in addition to ensuring
water tightness and protection against steel corrosion without the necessity
for external water proofing treatment. The shells were built at ground
level and jacked up to required height. Port Warehouses of 100 spans
were built in 1962 where three thin shells forming a total width of
100 ft. were built and jacked up at a time. The development of the technique
was on a shell of 50 ft. span and 20 ft. wide, described in 'Concrete
and Constructional Engineering' of May 1957.
6.
The precasting of long prestressed concrete hyperbolic paraboloid shells
using the long line system of prestressing, in 1961. These shells were
used for roofing a number of structures in the Port of Colombo and outside.
Described in the paper "Precasting of long saddle shaped hyperbolic
paraboloid shells on the long line" presented to the World Conference
on Shell Structures, San Francisco 1962.
7.
The solution of the "corner droop" in umbrella type Hyperbolic
Paraboloid Shells, by applying a prestress varying along the length
of the edge beams. Shells constructed in 1958 and described in paper
"Umbrella shaped hyperbolic paraboloid shells with prestressed
edge beams" presented at the International Symposium on shell structures,
Madrid 1959.
8.
The method of construction of the conical shell of 1 36 ft. diameter
base by assembling tapered prestressed concrete folded plates using
a novel method of erection. Described in paper "Design and Construction
of the Planetarium Building in Colombo". Spanish translation published
in REVISTA, Journal of the Institute. Mexicano del Cemento y del Concrete,
March / April 1968.
9.
Method of construction of 200 ft. /hemispherical shell at Kotmale, Sri
Lanka where false work was avoided by assembling the reinforcement to
form a skeletal shell of the required shape and concreting the shell
in rings with the formwork being supported by the skeletal shell, Described
in paper "Design and Construction of the Mahaweli Maha Seya Stupa
as a Thin Shell" presented at the International Symposium on Innovative
Applications of Shell and Spatial forms, Bangalore, India 1988.
10.
The method of constitution of the tension shell of 100 ft. diameter
and one inch thickness for the roof of the Kulasinghe Auditorium of
the National Engineering Research and Development Centre of Sri Lanka.
An outer ring of 100 ft. diameter and a concentric inner ring of 10
ft. diameter were connected with radial tensioned cables at ground level
and the outer ring jacked up resulting in the inner ring sagging below
the level of the outer ring. Transverse reinforcement was then placed
and a one inch thick concrete was cast to form the shell. Removal of
temporary weights placed on the inner ring induced a radial and circumferential
prestress in the thin shell. Described in paper "Conical Shell
as a tension structure for long spans" presented at the International
Symposium on Innovative Application of Shells and Spatial Forms, Bangalore,
India, 1988.
11.
Prestressed concrete Vierendeel truss with parallel chords where the
loads are carried by a parabolic prestressing cable in the plane of
the truss and passing through the vertical members of the truss. First
application was in the 100 ft. span, 10 ft. deep trusses for the North
Light Roof of the Lanka Leyland Bus Assembly Plant in Sri Lanka in 1968.
It has been applied to other structures, including bridges, resulting
in considerable economy.
12.
A method of constructing slip-formed walls for buildings without the
reinforcement that is normally used to prevent horizontal cracking of
the walls due to the tractive effect of the slipform. Spreading the
jack reaction on to the wall itself and preventing the bulging of the
walls immediately below the slip-form due to the vertical force on the
wall by incorporating chopped vegetable fibers into the lean cement
crusher dust mix having a low water cement ratio, were the innovative
features contributing to the success of the method of construction.
13.
The 'Kulasinghe-CPC" system of post tensioning for prestressed
concrete patented in 1956 incorporating several innovative features.
They are, the construction of the twelve wire anchorages in mild steel,
the arrangement of the wires to give maximum grout space and the hydraulic
de-wedging device to release the wires from the jack after tensioning
and anchoring them.
14.
The
method of constructing rectangular liquid storage tanks in which the
thin wall panels are formed to the shape of 'Prandt membranes' to eliminate
bending stresses in the panels, the loads being carried by tension.
Patented in 1974.
I5.
The construction of pumps for cutter suction dredgers, where the volute
casings of the centrifugal pumps are moulded in abrasion resistant rubber
with a thin metal casing on the outside in place of rubber lining of
pump casings made of metal which has the disadvantage of the lining
peeling off. This novel arrange ment results in increased durability
and lower costs. Several such pumps were constructed and operated in
1970 - 1971. The same method was extended to sewage pumps to provide
resistance to corrosion.
16.
The use of "Turgo" Impulse water turbines to power the cutter
and winches on board cutter suction dredgers in place of more expensive
electric or hydrostatic motors normally used the water under pressure
to operate the turbines was supplied by an engine driven centrifugal
pump on board the dredger (l 970-1971
17.
The use of linear induction motors for the cross and longitudinal travel
of electric overhead travelling cranes - 1970.
18.
The use of linear induction motors to provide a variable speed drive
for the drawing rollers of a spinning machine -1 970.
19.
The use of very small reluctance type synchronous
motors running on gas bearings to drive individual spindles in a spinning
machine. The motors ran at 9000 rpm on an ISO Hertz power supply (1969-1970).
20.
A hoisting winch providing a very low speed, an
intermediate speed. And a high speed, for lifting and lowering loads
on electric overhead travelling cranes. Without variable speed gears
or variable speed motors. Two drums with a small difference in diameter
are driven by individual reversible motors. Each end of the rope, running
through the pulley block of the crane hook is attached to a drum. Hoisting
with the larger drum and lowering with the smaller drum 2ives a slow
lifting speed, lifting with one drum with the other stopped gives the
intermediate speed and lifting with both drums gives the high speed.
Lowering speeds are obtained in a similar manner. Developed in I 970.
21.
The Semi Dry Batch Process of Anaerobic Digestion for bio degradable
material like straw, weeds, vegetable and fruit waste and the biodegradable
component of urban waste. This was patented in 1 990 and won a silver
medal at an exhibition in Switzerland. This technology provides a solution
to the problem of urban waste disposal.
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