Demand for Cement and Concrete Additives to Reach $3 Billion in 2014

Demand for cement and concrete additives is forecast to increase at nearly double-digit rates through 2014 to $3 billion.  A rebound in the housing market will promote growth, as the residential segment is a significant outlet for components that utilize cement and concrete.  Other factors contributing to gains include solid levels of highway and street spending, rising utilization of industrial byproducts in concrete, as well as an increased focus on the production of durable and long-lasting concrete structures through the use of chemical and fiber additives. Further gains will be limited by a significant deceleration in nonresidential building activity. These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Cement & Concrete Additives, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Cement and concrete additives demand in residential buildings will offer the fastest growth through 2014 due to a strong rebound in the US housing market.  Gains will stem from increasing awareness of the advantages afforded to additive-modified concrete in applications such as walls, countertops and flooring, as well as the traditional applications of driveways and patios.

The nonresidential building market will post the slowest growth through 2014.  Demand gains will be checked by declining construction spending in cement and concrete-intensive nonresidential building sectors, such as manufacturing plants, warehouses and hotels.  Slightly offsetting this sluggishness will be solid construction spending in the institutional sector, as more hospitals and nursing homes are built.

Chemical additives will remain the largest product segment as users increasingly turn to high performance, easy-to-place concrete.  Demand for mineral additives will benefit from increased use of waste materials such as coal fly ash and blast furnace slag as a partial replacement for portland cement in concrete. Demand for fiber additives will be driven by the increased acceptance of these products among concrete producers.  

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.