New technology to expedite building construction

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

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Cost effective and innovative technology has been introduced to expedite building construction work in Sri Lanka. Managing Director Durra Building System (Pvt) Ltd, Harsha de Saram said they ventured 10 years ago as a house developer and set up two housing development companies called the Nivasa Developers and the ICC Housing company.

"We have developed large township and condominium projects such as the Nivasipura housing estate at Ekala, Ja-ela and was about to complete the 31-storied Iceland Apartment complex at Galle Face Colombo. We will build another 300 houses at the Victoria Range at Digana Kandy," he said.

The Managing Director said they have introduced a new construction technology called the Durra panelling made from paddy straw raw material. "We were the first company to introduce Readymix concrete into the market in 1980. We also have a yard where we manufacture pre-cast building materials for the construction industry. To expedite construction pre-cast concrete beams can be fitted to buildings," he said.

He said the newest technology to be introduced from Australia were the Durra Panels which had been in existence for almost 40 years. The Durra panels are used in Australia, USA and in Far Eastern countries.

"Research was being done to construct the walls and ceiling with Durra panels in Sri Lanka. However, we have introduced the Easy Kit that can be used for construction of workers' quarters and site offices. He said Paddy straw was the main ingredient used in the manufacture of the Durra panels. "We have to find alternative building material due to the scarcity of cement, sand, timber and bricks. The Durra panels were made from sustainable and renewable raw material. Our factory was at Polonnaruwa to purchase straw from farmers. Around 2,000 tonnes of straw was being purchased from farmers in the Polonnaruwa district at Rs. 4,000 a tonne," he said.

Durra's Sales Engineer, Madhavi Kondadeniya said the Durra panelling was a local product that was natural and environment friendly. The panelling has been used widely to construct walls and for partitioning of modern buildings. it is robust and fire resistant. The panel was a multi-purpose product used in the construction of commercial, residential and industrial projects. "It was also 10 per cent cheaper than a traditional wall and much less labour was needed when used for construction purposes. It takes three days for walls to be constructed. The company also provides technical support and guidance," she said.

Durra Building System (Pvt) Ltd, is a fully owned subsidiary of International Construction Consortium Ltd. It is a 100 per cent Sri Lankan product combined with Australian technology.

It is a new revolutionary structural development with proven application for construction purposes. The technology has a 40-year-track record in Australia. The initial investment of the company for machinery and technology was around Rs 225 million.