Research project in semester 7 and 8 gives students an opportunity to solve real-life problems from different angles and to come up with solutions in a scientific and logical manner. Following are topics which were carried out in the recent period:

• Structurally Efficient Precast Bunkers
• Water Reclamation system in Kotelawala Defence University.
• Improve the existing drainage system at the officers married Quarters Catchment area at KDU
• Design an alternative groundwater supply system for new cadets accommodation area
• Effective drainage system for the proposed soccer ground at KDU
• Design a suitable foundation for the proposed pavilion at the main playground at KDU
• Design a new toilet and urinal flushing system for the new cadets accommodation.

Presentation Skill Development projects are conducted in the fourth semester with the aim of providing skill of team work and presentation skills. The titles of these projects are mostly social problems and students are trained for addressing analyzing such social issues.   The number of students in a group will be 10-12 students and they are from different disciplines, so that students can address the given issue with different perspectives.  Some of the past Syndicates conducted by students are listed below.

1.  Key challenges in Development of North & East of Sri Lanka in post war period   
2.  Introducing new environmental policies and updating present policies to make Sri Lanka a beautiful country   
3.  Prevention of labour exploitation to protect the rights of Migrant housemaids of Sri Lanka   
4.  Efficiency in the government and private sector   
5.  The role of India and Sri Lanka to overcome terrorism in the SAARC region   
6.  Motivation of Government sector employees and its effect on the economy   
7.  Prospects for Hambantota port.

The students receive the opportunity to visit prime locations of Civil Engineering activities such as construction sites maintained by tri services, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, State Design & Construction Corporation, State Engineering Corporation, Road Development Authority etc. The students visit and work at these locations as part of the work required for their Group Design project. Apart from field specific visits, the students get the opportunity of participating in Industrial visits to various establishments of the tri services as well as to other locations, such as power plant, NBRO, NERD, concrete batching plants etc. This gives exposure to the students on how the industry functions and also gives them an understanding on what to expect once they start off as active duty in their future employment.

The following is a list of locations that students have visited in the recent past

• The rehabilitation of Kettarama International Cricket Stadium
• Civil Engineering students continuously visited the construction of six-story Medical Faculty building and five-story Sergeant mess building at KDU
• Raddolugama Water and Wastewater treatment plants
• SD & CC Concrete yard
• Trincomalee Army, Navy and Air Force bases

The aim of the survey camp is to distribute the practical knowledge and training in the use of survey instruments, methods and applications of surveying for Civil Engineering applications. At the end of the survey camp, the students should be able to:

• Acquire the ability to adopt different survey methods for different survey applications in a civil engineering environment.
• Handle different survey equipments in a proper and standard manner.
• Prepare survey drawings and carryout associated computations.
• Carry out setting out works for civil engineering construction work.
• Acquire the required knowledge of ethics and conducts in a fieldwork environment.

Residential camp including field work and drawing work for an effective scope, to include from among the following:

1. Theodolite survey, adjustment computation, and plotting survey plan.
2. Profile leveling, including plotting of Longitudinal and Cross-sections.
3. Engineering Surveys and preparation of contour maps.
4. Setting out of building, road, and gradient.
5. Triangulation / Trilateration using Total stations and high accurate theodolites.
6. Establishment of planimetric controls using Total Station / Theodolite traversing.
7. Establishment of vertical (height) controls using precise levels.
8. Establishment of Controls using Static methods of Global Positioning System (GPS)
9. Surveying with Real Time Kinematic GPS (RTK GPS)
10. Stability Monitoring of Dams and High Elevated Structures with GPS.

The following exercises were conducted under the Survey Camp:

1. Preparation of a contour map for Kandawala Lake
2. Leveling of the proposed play ground at KDU