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Building Services Engineering
2027 Intake: MSc.Eng. & PG Dip. in Building Services Engineering
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Postegraduate Programme in Building Services Engineering

Over the last decades, anthropogenic uses of energy have caused irreparable damages to global environment and threatened sustainability of global eco system through devastating causes such as the depletion of stratospheric ozone layer and global warming. Certain damages, such as those to the ozone layer, could be mitigated if determined efforts are put in place at the present, though it would likely to takes thousands of years to recover and restore. Sensible and rational use of energy has become a necessity because of the intricate interconnectivity between the energy use and the environment and there is a great need for capacity and awareness building, especially among the practicing engineers, to ensure the sustainability of the global system.

The building industry consist of two major engineering activities; those relating to creating the built environment, and those relating to maintaining safe, comfortable, hygienically acceptable interior-built environment. Though very much an essential part of human existence, building industry is one major user of energy in the form of resources and energy consumption during construction and, mainly energy consumption in maintaining internal built environment throughout its useful lifespan. Both pre and post construction phases and activities of building industry are responsible for substantial levels of environmental damages, contributing for about 50% of all carbon emissions and depletion of natural resources.

Building services engineering is very much connected with construction industry during planning and pre-construction activities, architectural aspects, structural engineering and quantity surveying etc. All these influences the architecture of a building and play a significant role on the energy demand of a building. Within building services engineering, new roles are emerging in the areas of renewable energy, sustainability, low carbon technologies and energy management.

This programme focuses on introducing the concepts and methods of reducing the environmental burden of activities related to the interior built environment. The students will have an opportunity to expose themselves to latest knowledge and practice guidelines etc of building service engineering design, refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technologies, electrical, electronic control engineering technology in designing safe and sustainable buildings with efficient building utility systems.

Since there are overlapping interests and topics with certain themes of civil engineering, the proposed postgraduate programme in BSE, conducted by the Mechanical Engineering dept, shares some courses with the proposed postgraduate program in Sustainable built environment of Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya. The students have the option of registering either for a postgraduate diploma or a masters’ degree. The course consists of taught courses, industrial assignments, laboratory and design exercises and a research project.

The Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, has excellent physical facilities and a team of highly qualified academic staff to conduct the programme. Further, visiting experts from industry and academia will contribute as resource personnel.

Programme Objectives

    • Capacity building in the area of Building Services Engineering.
    • Establishing an academic and research culture in the area of Building Services Engineering in Sri Lanka.
    • Awareness building among the stakeholders on the need for incorporating concepts of sustainability and efficient building utility concepts in the practice of building planning and construction. 
    • Training engineering professionals to carry out activities related to the interior built environments efficiently and effectively.

Eligibility

  • BScEng degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Chemical and Processes Engineering from University of Peradeniya or equivalent subjected to the guideline provided by the general regulations for the postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of Engineering University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

OR

  • BScEng degree or equivalent with two years of experience in the field of Building Services Engineering subjected to the guideline provided by the general regulations for the postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of Engineering University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

For general regulations and more information visit here

Course Fee

Total course fee is Rs. 500,000.00 for the MScEng. programme
      • Rs.450,000/= for the first academic year of the programme
      • Rs. 50,000/= for the second academic year of MSc. programme
Payment can be made in instalments

Course Structure

The programme leading to postgraduate degree on Building Services Engineering will be conducted according to the approved rules and regulations of the post graduate programmes in the Faulty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya
Course code Course tile Type Credit Rating
ME 610 Building services management Core 3
ME 611 Building HVAC and refrigeration systems Core 3
ME 612 Electrical services and lighting design Core 3
ME 613 Acoustics, Fire and Lifts Core 3
ME 614 Building utility supply systems Core 3
ME 615 Independent design Core 2
ME 616 GreenSL rating system for built environment Elective 3
ME 617 Sustainable design of buildings Elective 3
ME 618 Green Buildings Elective 3
ME 710 Building management systems Elective 3
ME 711 Building energy systems Elective 3
ME 712 Seminars and case studies in building services engineering Elective 1
ME 713 Research methodology and scientific writing Elective 2
ME 714 Advance study – 5
ME 810 Advance Research study – 30

Course Descriptions

ME610 Building services management (Core, 3 Credits)

Credits: 3 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • integrate the building economics and life cycle analysis of BSE systems
  • implement facility management techniques in BSE practices
  • apply the concepts of asset management and preventive maintenance practices in building systems

Credits: 3 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply the basic principles of environmental control of internal built environmental spaces
  • identify, select and apply contemporary HVAC system concepts and configurations
  • apply relevant safety/hygiene/HVAC standards and execute design guidelines for integration with building services

Credits: 3 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify deferent devices/components used in electrical wiring installations and electromagnetic energy conversion systems
  • Use safety concepts and BS 7671 to design electrical wiring installations
  • Select the proper lighting system to match the sustainable built environment
  • Employ energy conservation techniques to industrial applications and estimate saving that can be achieved using power factor improvements
  • Explain the principle of operation of different types of Electrical Machines and list the drive components required in actual implementations
  • Select wires/components/devices that should be used for different installations and electrical power system

Credits: 3 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply basic principles of acoustics in architectural acoustic designs
  • use relevant standards and design guidelines on fire safety system design
  • evaluate, design and select, install and commission lifts and escalators systems

Credits: 3 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply operating principles of building utility systems in internal built environment planning and management
  • apply fundamental concepts in building utility mechanical systems in design of buildings
  • prepare complete documentation on utility systems, P&I diagrams, other related drawings and design documents for building utility systems

Credits: 2 (Core)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • demonstrate the application of appropriate design and/or research methodologies in projects of building services engineering
  • formulate study methodologies in a specific study area in building services engineering

Credits: 3 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • Illustrate the key components of GreenSL Rating System
  • Apply GreenSL certification process and associated concepts in sustainable built environment
  • Formulate GreenSL strategies and measurements

Credits: 3 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • Practice conventional and sustainable design procedures
  • Design according to the Code of Practice for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Sri Lanka
  • Design with eco-friendly materials

Credits: 3 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply up-to-date information on green buildings
  • apply exergy efficiency approaches in the built environment
  • integrate passive, renewable and distributed energy technologies
  • life cycle analysis in the built environment

Credits: 3 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply basic principles of building automation and building management systems in building systems
  • describe the basic building blocks of building management systems, their integration and operation
  • apply basic principles of building system optimization and control in internal built environments

Credits: 2 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • apply the fundamentals of thermodynamics and sustainable energy concepts in building systems
  • evaluate total energy utilization of building envelops
  • integrate renewable energy technologies in building systems

Credits: 1 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • criticize and apply up-to-date information on building services engineering
  • report on comprehension of relevant information
  • apply communication skills to present individual case studies

Credits: 2 (Elective)

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • describe the scientific research methods and how this applies to graduate research studies
  • Prepare a literature review on a topic relevant to their area of concentration by critically reviewing published papers
  • Analyse the collected data and identify the appropriate methods for displaying the date
  • Prepare an extended abstract and present the research findings in an oral/poster format

Credits: 5

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • Search for technical literature and information from various sources and conduct a review.
  • Formulate research/complex engineering problem based on the identified knowledge gap and develop appropriate methodology to solve the problem.
  • Carry out a preliminary analysis based on the developed methodology.
  • Write a research proposal based on given guidelines.

Credits: 30

Pre-requisite: None

Learning outcomes:

  • Search for technical literature from various sources and conduct a critical literature review.
  • Formulate the research problem and develop appropriate methodology.
  • Collect and analyse the data and synthesize research findings.
  • Write the thesis and present the research findings in a precise and coherent manner.
  • Disseminate the findings in a publication at a scientific forum.

Teaching Panel

  • Staff of the Faculty of Engineering
  • Staff from other Faculties of University of Peradeniya
  • Visiting staff from the industry and other higher educational institutes, approved by the higher degree committee and the faculty board of Faculty of engineering.