Skip to main content

US asphalt demand to reach 24.3 million tonnes in 2019

US demand for asphalt is forecast to increase 3.3% annually to 24.3 million tonness in 2019, the vast majority of which is refined petroleum asphalt, according to a new report. Demand will be spurred by a rebound in building construction, especially for asphalt shingles. But in the much larger market of asphalt paving, gains will be supported by the efforts of state and local governments to maintain the nation’s aging road and highway network. Paving accounted for three-quarters of asphalt use in 2014
August 6, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
US demand for asphalt is forecast to increase 3.3% annually to 24.3 million tonness in 2019, the vast majority of which is refined petroleum asphalt, according to a new report.

Demand will be spurred by a rebound in building construction, especially for asphalt shingles. But in the much larger market of asphalt paving, gains will be supported by the efforts of state and local governments to maintain the nation’s aging road and highway network.

Paving accounted for three-quarters of asphalt use in 2014. Legislative bodies are expected to allocate more funds for repair work, supporting the use of asphalt cements and asphalt emulsions.

These and other trends are presented in Asphalt, a new study from market research firm 2821 Freedonia Group, based in the US city of Cleveland, in the state of Ohio.

“Demand for asphalt in paving applications will advance 3.1% annually to nearly 17.8 million tonness,” said Freedonia analyst Matt Zielenski.

Among asphalt paving products, asphalt emulsions will see the fastest growth in demand through 2019, boosted by increasing interest in in-place recycling. Asphalt emulsions can be used to recycle older pavements while minimising asphalt consumption which in turn reduces the time and cost of paving jobs.

Asphalt cement will remain the leading paving material used in the United States due to the prevalence of hot-mix and warm-mix asphalts in paving jobs. These products are favoured because of their moderate cost and solid performance properties, such as durability and good drainage, the report noted.

The 396-page report, called Asphalt, is available for $5,500 from The Freedonia Group.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Australian firm uses recycled feed material for asphalt
    August 14, 2015
    Innovations in asphalt plant technology will help boost the use of recycled asphalt. Mike Woof writes. An Ammann asphalt plant located in Australia has been successful in using a high percentage of recycled feed materials. The Australian producer Downer recently created and laid an asphalt mix consisting of 99% recycled materials, including feed from somewhat unusual sources. The feed included toner from printer cartridges, tyres and glass and this is thought to be the first time a mix has been produced usi
  • Boom in Asian infrastructure investment
    April 5, 2012
    Investment in China and India continues unabated, but other nations on the continent are eager to attract companies as Patrick Smith reports Asia is still booming despite the current economic crisis, and new infrastructure programmes are constantly coming on stream. Powerhouses China and India, with their double-digit growth figures and huge infrastructure plans (in scope and cost), are leading the way and are still magnets for businesses wishing to expand, both in terms of facilities and customers. But oth
  • CECE Congress focuses on future of construction
    May 8, 2012
    The bi-annual CECE Congress was held in Spain when participants looked forward in a bid to see what will happen in the next ten years. Growth markets such as China, India and Brazil offer big opportunities to European construction equipment manufacturers. As companies, particularly those from China, start to expand outside their own countries the competition for business will increase, and it has been claimed that there is no such thing as 'the global market', rather it is the sum of hundreds, if not thousa
  • A pothole damage breakthrough?
    April 11, 2013
    Academic research by two universities in the same UK city shows that patch repairs on potholes could be far more durable if a few simple techniques were consistently used. Guy Woodford reports. Repairing pothole damage to highways and vehicles across Europe costs responsible authorities and individual motorists hundreds of millions of euros each year. Yet it has cost just €20,204 to make the potentially crucial first step in identifying a method of keeping highways across the continent and beyond pothole fr