UK’s cause for concern

Mineral Products Association (MPA) results for the first quarter of 2012 indicate a substantial reduction in sales of aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt, confirming new GDP figures showing that declining construction activity has triggered the UK’s latest recession. Compared with the same period of 2011, sales volumes of crushed rock and sand and gravel aggregates declined by 13% and 12% respectively in the first three months of 2012, and sales volumes of ready-mixed concrete and asphalt fell by 9
June 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
UK’s quarry sector faces continuing low demand for products
5338 Mineral Products Association (MPA) results for the first quarter of 2012 indicate a substantial reduction in sales of aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt, confirming new GDP figures showing that declining construction activity has triggered the UK’s latest recession.

Compared with the same period of 2011, sales volumes of crushed rock and sand and gravel aggregates declined by 13% and 12% respectively in the first three months of 2012, and sales volumes of ready-mixed concrete and asphalt fell by 9% and 17%. The MPA has said that these products represent by far the largest flow of materials into construction markets and are used extensively throughout the construction sector. The figures follow a slightly positive overall performance in 2011 and suggest that construction activity is now in decline following some recovery from the depths of the recession in 2009.

Jerry McLaughlin, chief economist at MPA, said: “These figures represent real deliveries of materials to construction projects, not opinion survey data, and they indicate that there is a real likelihood that construction activity will fall away and constrain economic recovery as we move through 2012 and 2013.

“There has been some criticism of the ONS [3598 Office for National Statistics] data released on Wednesday (25 April) that showed a 3% first quarter decline in construction compared with the fourth quarter and lower activity than the first quarter of 2011. These official figures are provisional, but they reflect just what our industry is experiencing on the ground."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Progression in concrete plant and mixing solutions
    July 14, 2014
    Big orders for and progress in plant and concrete mixing technology has been continuing at a rapid pace over recent months, as Guy Woodford reports Shantui recently completed an eye-catching US$3.2 million deal with a customer in the United Arab Emirates for 50 concrete mixer trucks. The deal is said to be an important breakthrough for the Chinese company’s concrete machinery in the Middle East market, raising brand awareness and laying a solid foundation for building market share. Over the past y
    Read More
  • French Q1 sales of equipment hit record levels
    May 22, 2019
    Sales of construction equipment in France are at the highest levels ever observed in the country, according to CISMA, the French trade association. In the first quarter of 2019 six new records were set. Compared with Q1 2018, the market is up 10%. This performance can be explained by the rise in sales to rental companies of nearly 13%, notes CISMA. The mobile elevating work platform sales reached a peak of 3,545 units in the quarter – highest ever, beating the previously best years of 2000-2001 an
    Read More
  • M&T sees deals worth $666mn
    August 24, 2012
    Equipment deals worth some R$1.2 billion (US$666 million) were concluded during the recent M&T Expo 2012 in São Paulo, Brazil. The 8th International Trade Fair of Construction Equipment and 6th International Trade Fair of Mining Equipment, was the largest to date and was a showcase for product launches and innovations in equipment technology for the sector. Organisers, Sobratema (Brazilian Association of Technology for Equipment and Maintenance) say the figure at the “history-making edition” corresponds to
    Read More
  • Cost-saving polymer modified bitumen
    February 28, 2012
    An upfront combination of both cost savings and reduced environmental impact are now possible as a result of Kraton Polymers' continued investment in polymer innovation, says the company. "The new polymers enable a reduction in the bound pavement thickness by allowing the use of highly polymer modified bitumen (PMB) base course binders without excessive viscosities or incompatibility problems. The step change improvements in binder strength, flexibility and toughness result in a dramatic improvement in asph
    Read More

Highlighted Content