Beyond the noise barriers: the Leier and Durisol offer a sustainable alternative in building construction too

The Leier Durisol wall system, many people may first and foremost think of noise barriers erected along public roads and railway lines. However, the wood-concrete-based system has also been in use in building construction for decades. It can be used in the walls of blocks of flats, housing estates, public buildings, office blocks and other structures. One important area of application for this technology is the construction of internal walls where, in addition to structural requirements, sound insulation is also a key consideration.

„The Durisol is not just a noise barrier system; it also has its place in building construction,” stated Zsuzsanna Mócsy, an employee of Leier, Durisol International, who believes that the system could be a particularly interesting alternative in projects where, alongside good acoustic properties and load-bearing capacity, environmental considerations also play an important role.

Fabeton and Beton are working together

The use of the Durisol in building construction is not primarily about replacing traditional brickwork solutions. Rather, it offers designers an additional option. By using these elements, a wall structure can be created in which the timber-concrete element and the concrete core together provide the necessary structural and acoustic properties.

The two main components of the Durisol wall structure are the formwork structure built from Durisol walling units, which acts as permanent formwork, and the concrete or reinforced concrete core, which forms the load-bearing part of the wall structure. The concrete core consists of continuous ribs running vertically and horizontally, which also enables the creation of an earthquake-resistant wall structure.

The rib system is generally constructed without structural reinforcement, although it can be reinforced with steel inserts where higher load-bearing capacity is required or where the structure is designed to withstand earthquakes.

Wood shavings are used in the manufacture of Durisol; these are, of course, a renewable, recycled raw material. By mixing cement, water and other specialised raw materials in the correct proportions, the product combines all the beneficial properties offered by both wood and concrete.

The walling units are lightweight and can be assembled quickly without mortar. Construction efficiency is further enhanced by the fact that only eight units are needed to create one square metre of wall surface.

A further advantage of the Durisol components is that they can be easily cut to size even with a hand saw. This means fewer cuts are required, which not only speeds up the work but also reduces the amount of offcuts. Furthermore, the waste generated during production is recycled back into the manufacturing process.

This technology can be applied to various wall structures in building construction. The Durisol acoustic elements, designated DMi, are, for example, designed for use in external walls – with external thermal insulation as required – and for internal load-bearing walls, flat partitions and partition walls. A choice can be made between elements of different thicknesses based on the structural and acoustic requirements of the building in question.

One such product is the DMi 25/18, which is manufactured with an 18-centimetre concrete core and a wall thickness of 25 centimetres. According to the data for the Leier, the airborne sound insulation value of a properly constructed wall structure can be Rw = 61 dB. This can be a particularly important consideration for party walls, where limiting sound transmission between neighbouring flats is a fundamental requirement.

More than 5,000 square metres of acoustic panels in Košice

The fact that this technology is not merely a specialised product solution is demonstrated by several international building construction projects.

A new residential estate comprising 236 flats, Panorama lakópark, was completed in Košice, Slovakia, in 2024. During construction, Leier supplied more than 5,000 square metres of DMi 20/13 and DMi 25/18 acoustic masonry units for the internal load-bearing walls, apartment partitions and partition walls. An extension to the residential estate is also on the agenda, and Durisol acoustic block units will also be used in the next phase.

„The Košice project clearly demonstrates that the acoustic components of the Durisol can also be used in large-scale residential development projects,” added Péter Turán , product manager for the DURISOL, from Slovakia.

It also appears in the masonry of office blocks and warehouse buildings

The system was not only used in residential buildings. In Düsseldorf, Germany, the Evo-Bauen office block and warehouse, completed in 2025, utilised several types of Durisol masonry units. 

For the external load-bearing walls, DSs 37,5/12 elements with integrated thermal insulation were used, whilst DMi 25/18 acoustic elements were fitted to the internal walls and the warehouse walls.

Organic certification and the life-cycle approach

In building construction applications, the environmental characteristics of building materials are playing an increasingly important role alongside acoustic and structural considerations. The Durisol range of acoustic elements has held NaturePlus ecological certification since 2009. This German certification applies to building materials where environmental aspects of production are also taken into account.

In addition, an EPD – that is, the Environmental Product Declaration Environmental Product Declaration – has also been produced for the Durisol product range. The EPD contains data based on a life-cycle assessment, thereby enabling the environmental impacts of the building material in question to be quantified and facilitating comparison with other similar products.