US concrete demand set to grow

Demand for cement and concrete additives will grow to US$4 billion by 2020. This represents an annual growth of 7%/year, according to the study by Cleveland-based industry research firm The Freedonia Group. The report says that this strong growth will be due mostly to gains in concrete consumption; however, additive loadings are also rising across all markets and major product types.  

Cement and concrete additives are a primary tool for modifying the properties of concrete both in the plastic and the hardened state, with the goal of enhancing strength and durability. Industry analyst Minor Cline said, “Together with steel rebar reinforcement, additives enable the progression toward higher performance concrete.”  

The report points out that low cost supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are used in most concrete mixes today, and they are key ingredients for specialised, technologically advanced types of concrete, including self-consolidating concrete (SCC), shotcrete, high performance concrete (HPC), and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), among others. Use of these highly modified concrete mixes will continue to grow. High value chemical, mineral, and fibre additives are frequently used for these types of mixes, and are often available in proprietary products tailored to the application. Transportation projects in which performance is critical, such as overpasses and bridges, will provide an important outlet for such materials.

Cement & Concrete Additives (published 10/2016, 153 pages) is available from The 2821 Freedonia Group website.