Demand for cement and concrete additives to surpass US$25 billion by 2017

The new ‘World Cement & Concrete Additives Market’’ report released by Freedonia, an international business research company, predicts that worldwide demand for cement and concrete additives will exceed US$25 billion by 2017.

Global demand set to increase

Global growth in cement consumption is projected to decelerate somewhat; however, additive demand is expected to increase considerably faster than it did in the 2007 – 2012 period, mainly due to rebounding construction activity in many of the world's most intensive additive-consuming markets. In North America, growth will be led by the US market as a result of rebounding construction activity, which has bolstered demand for both cement and additives. Similarly, the report notes that Western Europe is projected to post strong gains due to an improved outlook for the construction industry. In Asia, growth in the enormous market in China – which accounts for more than half of global cement consumption – is forecast to decelerate from the breakneck pace registered in the past 10 years, but still be above average. Sustained advances in the large Indian market are expected to boost regional growth, as will a rebound in Japan, where construction activity and cement consumption are predicted to reverse a decade-long period of decline. In general, demand for additives in developing areas will be bolstered by sustained growth in construction activity and increased cement consumption. Furthermore, the report highlights that additive loading will continue to increase, as their use can shorten construction times, save on labour costs, reduce overall cement consumption in concrete applications and bring concrete construction practices up to standard.

Improvements expected in the worldwide construction industry

Global building construction activity is expected to accelerate substantially following a weak period, particularly in the world's most developed regions. According to the report, this will boost demand for additives in concrete for buildings, especially in larger buildings and other structures requiring high performance concrete. Advances in the highways and streets market will be strongest in developing areas such as the Africa/Mideast region and China, where roads and other infrastructure expansion is occurring most rapidly, leading to greater use of cement and, in turn, cement and concrete additives. Robust gains in public infrastructure, especially in developing regions, are forecast to create opportunities for growth due to the greater use of better-performing concrete applications for dams, airports and other major projects. Such projects often require larger volumes of additives for greater durability, workability, strength and resistance to salts, chemicals and weather.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/17072014/demand_for_cement_and_concrete_additives_to_surpass_us_25_billion_by_2017_108/