Academic helping re-build tsunami devastated Sri Lanka

Mar 03, 2005

It was with mixed emotions that UOW's Professor Buddhima Indraratna, of the Faculty of Engineering, returned to his birth country last month to spend two weeks conducting soil testing and site inspections in the tsunami-ravaged coastal belt of Sri Lanka.

While he was looking forward to a trip home, he was also overwhelmed by the destruction left behind by the tsunami, which has caused severe damage to infrastructure and soil conditions.

Conditions on the coastal terrains have changed in many locations making the surface soils unstable. Professor Indraratna said this was due to the mixing of soft sediments transported by highly turbulent tidal waters.

“Some buildings that survived the wrath of tsunami still contained thick layers of black marine mud transported by the huge waves,” he said.

“Extensive surface areas of the coastal belt are now covered with soft and compressible soils and building of new infrastructure will now require significant ground improvement.”

Professor Indraratna said that, in certain areas, these soil deposits would need to be completely removed to prevent the risk of building settlement and erosion under heavy rainfall. He also said that Sri Lanka, an island nation that had been almost free of major natural hazards until the Asian tsunami, would now become increasingly prone to future earthquakes.

His expertise and extensive knowledge of the reconstruction process has resulted in an appointment as an External Executive Member of the National Science Foundation which is the body overseeing the whole of Sri Lanka’s scientific and engineering reconstruction effort following the Boxing Day tsunami. Professor Indraratna has also been asked to provide advice directly to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Tissa Vitarana.

“The reconstruction process will include the necessity for earthquake design of infrastructure such as bridges, roads, rail tracks, hospitals, schools, large residential complexes and high rise buildings.”

As soon as Professor Indraratna learnt of the Boxing Day tsunami he and his wife Manori cancelled their planned holiday to New Zealand and swiftly organised a clothing and dry food collection for the homeless in Sri Lanka.

Truck loads of clothing were collected from Wollongong suburbs and sent to Sydney for shipment to Colombo. He was assisted by other academics of Sri Lankan origin from UOW including Associate Professor Hema Wijewardena and Dr Anura Zoysa (both from Accounting and Finance at UOW) and their families.

Soon after, the Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka, Dr De Mel, contacted Professor Indraratna to seek preliminary assistance from him in the planning of various reconstruction phases of coastal areas of Sri Lanka drawing upon his expertise in civil engineering.

During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Professor Indraratna was involved in a strategic meeting with Sri Lanka's Minister of Science and Technology to discuss the various geotechnical problems and risk assessment involved in the reconstruction process.

“The minister showed interest in exploring the possibility of training that could be provided to research students and academics at UOW in collaboration with Sri Lankan universities and technical committees,” he said.

Professor Indraratna has given several presentations to professional organisations and technical bodies involved in the reconstruction process in Sri Lanka and has also been invited to become a core member of the recently formed International Technical Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Rehabilitation.

He will provide continuing assistance to Sri Lankan reconstruction efforts as an international expert and adviser.

-RP