Cement & Concrete Additives

Report Overview

Rising additive use fuels growth

Cement and concrete additive demand in the US will be energized by rising additive use per ton of concrete and continuing recovery in concrete demand following steep losses experienced during the housing market collapse and the Great Recession.

Most gains in additive demand will originate in the building construction market, fueled by growth in new housing starts and investments in nonresidential facilities. Rising use of technologically advanced forms of concrete that require high additive loadings and also a progression toward stronger, more durable concrete will promote growth and gradually shift the product mix toward high value additives.

Nonresidential market contributes most to additive gains

The nonresidential building construction market will be the largest contributor to overall gains in demand. On average, concrete used for nonresidential building construction contains twice the additives per volume as does concrete used for residential construction.

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), particularly fly ash and slag cement, are continuing to gain favor in nonresidential building construction because of their ability to strengthen concrete and reduce its permeability, thereby rendering it less susceptible to such problems as corrosion. These materials are also increasingly ubiquitous in highway and street construction.

Architectural and decorative applications increase

The use of concrete for architectural and decorative purposes will continue to climb. Demand for specialty products used in these applications, such as coloring agents, white portland cement, white pozzolans, and glass fibers, will grow. The rising popularity of concrete flooring will support demand for fiber additives, particularly microfibers, which reduce shrinkage cracking and allow wider spacing of expansion joints. Industrial concrete flooring will provide growing demand for synthetic macrofiber and steel fiber, as these materials can replace steel mesh reinforcement while reducing labor costs. However, growth in the industrial market will be limited due to weakness in construction activity in that sector.

Study coverage

Cement & Concrete Additives presents historical demand data (2005, 2010, 2015) plus forecasts (2020, 2025) by type of additive (fiber, chemical, mineral) and market (nonresidential building, residential building, highway and street, other). The study also considers market environment factors, assesses the industry structure and evaluates company market share.