Investigation of Social Concerns Regarding a Sustainable Cement

Main Article Content

Chandana Kulasuriya
Priyan Dias
Vanissorn Vimonsatit

Abstract

This work investigates individual and social concerns regarding the integral sustainability of an alternative low-carbon cement. The framework of Integral Philosophy was used for the investigation. Social surveys were conducted in Australian, American, and Sri Lankan contexts. The data was collected through both closed-ended and open-ended questions in a questionnaire. Analysis of responses was carried out using fuzzy techniques and grounded theory techniques. Results indicate that individuals and societies in all three countries are more concerned about market price, quality standards, sustainability issues, and recommendations from professionals when selecting a new cement. In all three contexts, they also indicate that there is generally high support among individuals and societies for accepting low-carbon cement as an integrally sustainable cement. Combining the top-down Integral Theory approach with the bottom-up Grounded Theory is a valuable tool for social science research.

Article Details

How to Cite
“Investigation of Social Concerns Regarding a Sustainable Cement” (2024) Journal of Engineering, 30(04), pp. 1–20. doi:10.31026/j.eng.2024.04.01.
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Chandana Kulasuriya

Dr. Chandana Kulasuriya, Ph.D., M.Eng., BSc.Eng., BA. CEng., PE (Int.), CPEng.

Chandana Kulasuriya is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Previously he served as a Senior Lecturer at the Curtin Colombo Campus, Sri Lanka and a Sessional Lecturer at the Curtin University, Australia.  He obtained his doctorate from Curtin University Australia. Previously he obtained his master’s degree and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka. In addition, he also holds a bachelor's degree in arts with philosophy, fine arts, and social statistics from the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka. His research interests span areas such as philosophy of technology, sustainability, alternative cement, concrete technology, and aesthetics of structures.

Priyan Dias

  1. Prof. WPS Dias (Priyan Dias), Ph.D. (Lond.), D.I.C., C.Eng., M.I.Struct.E.

Prof WPS Dias is an Emeritus Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Moratuwa and a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at SLIIT, Malabe, Sri Lanka. He obtained a doctorate from Imperial College, London in 1986. He was the inaugural Director of Research for the University of Moratuwa from 2014 to 2017. He is a Fellow and Past President of the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka; and also an associate editor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems. His research interests span areas such as concrete technology, structural engineering, systems methods and engineering philosophy.

Vanissorn Vimonsatit, Macquarie University

Dr. Vanissorn Vimonsatit, Ph.D., P.Eng.,

Dr Vanissorn Vimonsatit (or Sorn) is an Associate Professor at the Macquarie School of Engineering, Civil Engineering in February 2020.  Sorn received a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Kasetsart University, Thailand, a Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and a PhD from the University of New South Wales, Australia.  Sorn has a broad range of experience in research and engineering practices in the construction industry. Sorn worked as a practicing structural engineer for over 10 years in the design and construction of tall buildings, then worked as an academic at Curtin University for 12 years before joining Macquarie University.   Her research interests are AI for material and structural design, buildability, construction materials, multi-scaling, structural engineering, and sustainability.

How to Cite

“Investigation of Social Concerns Regarding a Sustainable Cement” (2024) Journal of Engineering, 30(04), pp. 1–20. doi:10.31026/j.eng.2024.04.01.

Publication Dates

Received

2023-12-05

Accepted

2024-03-30

Published Online First

2024-04-01

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