Durra builds panels from paddy straw

Having identified the requirement for alternative building materials in the Sri Lankan construction industry, Durra Building Systems (Pvt) Ltd has embarked on manufacturing multi purpose building panels out of paddy straw which is considered to be an agricultural waste in Sri Lanka.

Durra Building Systems is a fully owned subsidiary of International Construction Consortium Ltd.

Elaborating on the Durra straw panel Vice Chairman Harsha De Saram said "The panel has strong and unique properties and has multiple uses. Sound Absorption property is very high and therefore it can be used in sound control rooms, listening rooms, cinema theatres, home theatres, recording rooms, hospitals and auditoriums.

The Durra panel has a robust fire resistance and has a two hour fire rating and is also used as a heat insulator. It is ideal for indoor stadiums and gymnasiums as the impact resistance is very high. In fact it can hold the weight of an elephant without damaging the panel"

There are four manufacturing plants worldwide, in Australia, United States, Philippines and Sri Lanka. With technical collaboration from Ortech Industries (Pvt) Ltd., Australia the manufacturing plant was set up at Minneriya, the hub of the paddy cultivating area in the North Central province.

Durra is a 100% Sri Lankan product thereby saving foreign currency. The technology was purchased outright from Australia. The initial investment amounted to Rs 200 million.

"The Durra panel is manufactured utilising an innovative chemical free dry extrusion process. The paddy straw is purchased directly from the farmers at Rs 4000.00 per ton thereby providing the farmers with and additional income as the current practice is to burn the paddy straw after harvesting.

We have created indirect employment for 400 persons during the Yala and Maha seasons." Harsha De Saram said. Explaining the manufacturing process Sales Engineer Madhavi Kondadeniya said. "The straw is fed into the machine and compressed.

It is then passed through heated plates for bonding. No glues or bonding agents are added. Craft paper is pasted on either side of the panel and cut into lengths of 8, 9, and 10 feet.

It is manufactured in thicknesses of 50mm and 58mm.and a width of 4 feet". At present around 2000 tons of paddy straw is purchased per season from the farmers. The production for a day is 250 panels (8000 square feet) which could be increased depending on the demand.