From left: Eng. Pradeep Kumara, Civil Engineering Sectional Committee Secretary Eng. Lalith Pallegama, Eng. Praboda Jinasena, IESL Deputy Secretary Eng. Neil Abeysekera, Building Clinic Team Leader Civil Engineering Sectional Committee Eng. Champika Ranasinghe, IESL President Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda, IESL President Elect Eng. (Prof.) Niranjanie Ratnayake, Civil Engineering Sectional Committee Chairman Eng. Niyas Samad, UltraTech Chief Executive Kiran Redkar, UltraTech Technical and Marketing Senior General Manager Sandeep Holey, and UltraTech Technical Assistant General Manager Eng. Ananda Silva

UltraTech Cement Lanka and the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka signed an MoU, pledging to continue their partnership to offer free expert engineering advice through Building Clinics to home-builders island wide.

The Building Clinic offers professional advice free of charge to people with no access to technical knowledge and engineering information. The MoU, effective from 1 June, pledges to conduct Building Clinics in various parts of the country for the next two years.

The timely initiative is especially pertinent in light of new building regulations and natural hazards such as landslides and floods which now have a heightened effect on construction in Sri Lanka.  “Over the past two years, UltraTech Cement Lanka and IESL have conducted six Building Clinics in areas such as Kaluthara, Kurunegala, Kandy and Gampaha, impacting hundreds of home-builders, contractors and masons. UltraTech Cement Lanka and IESL are committed to the advancement of Sri Lanka’s home building industry, disseminating knowledge and best practices to those unable to afford or access expert advice. I am glad to see this partnership continue and look forward to developing and empowering Sri Lankan home-builders,” commented UltraTech Cement Lanka (Pvt) Ltd Chief Executive Kiran Redkar.

“This is a significant MoU as this partnership is well-aligned to the country’s current construction needs and UltraTech Cement Lanka’s vision to empower and develop Sri Lanka’s construction industry. The Building Clinic dispenses personalized and one-on-one engineering advice and construction expertise to individual home builders, contractors, masons and prospective home owners. Initiatives such as these bridge knowledge gaps in the industry and help apply best practices to suit local needs and specialized building conditions,” stated UltraTech Cement Lanka Marketing and Technical Senior General Manager Sandeep Holey. “The Building Clinic’s relevance is especially heightened when taking into account the developments impacting the industry. It provides a valuable opportunity for the public to obtain quality technical information on all aspects of home-building from a panel of construction experts and we are delighted to see this much-needed public initiative continue,” said UltraTech Cement Lanka Engineer Ananda Silva

IESL President Elect Engineer (Prof.) Niranjanie Ratnayake; IESL Civil Engineering Sectional Committee Chairman Niyas Samad; IESL Civil Engineering Sectional Committee Team Leader Engineer Champika Nawagamuwa; and Engineer Probodha Jinasena championed the concept of the Building Clinic, Engineer Ananda Silva, who actively coordinates the programmes, and Ultratech Cement Lanka Marketing and Technical Senior General Manager Sandeep Holey, were among the attendees at the MoU signing ceremony.