Category Archives: Construction Materials

Cement Market in Thailand

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Asia has recovered far more quickly from the global downturn that began in 2008 than have the industrialized nations of Europe and the Americas. Complicating matters for the industrialized nations, and in particular the United States, is the nature of the bubble that burst to create the downturn. It was the housing market that was being bet on to inflate the bubble and when that crashed, the overbuilding which took place during the bubble growth period left the construction industry in serious trouble. But, that trouble is not seen everywhere in the world. As a basic building material, the demand for cement serves as an indicator of how the construction industry is faring nation by nation. Thailand has seen healthy growth in the demand for cement in 2010 despite the upheaval caused by flooding in that nation during the late summer.

Geographic reference: Thailand
Year: 2010
Market size: 24 million metric tons
Source: “News Asia: Siam Cement Group Profits Down Slightly,” Global Cement Magazine, November 2010, page 43.
Original source: Siam Cement Group

Cement Made in Russia

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The transition from the Soviet Union to the smaller Russian Federation was a tumultuous one for the society at many levels. On the economic front, it caused many Russian industries to wither for a time, even those concentrated within the old geographical boundaries of what is now the Russian Federation.

The shrinking of the Russian cement manufacturing capacity during this period can be seen clearly in the two years’ worth of market size data presented below. From 1990 to 2009 the Russian annual cement production reached a nadir of 26 million metric tons (Mt). The Russian cement market is now experiencing a sort of renaissance, according to the source, due in large part to the advantage it has with regard to its sizable energy reserves.

Geographic reference: Russian Federation
Year: 1990 and 2009
Market size: 85 million Mt and 44 million Mt respectively
Source: “Russian Cement Market: History and Outlook,” Global Cement Magazine, October 2010, page 44.

Prefabricated Wooden Buildings

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This post shows the size of the manufacturer’s market for prefabricated stationary wood buildings sold in precut packages. It is the value of these building packages to the manufacturer and doesn’t include the costs of transportation.

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2002 and 2008
Market size: $668.5 million and $407.8 million respectively
Source: Annual Survey of Manufactures 2008, March 30, 2010, available online here and the Annual Survey of Manufacturers 2003.
Original source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

Ceramic Tile Market

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Market size presented is based on manufacturers’ shipments. Residential repair and replacement demand made up 29.9% of the market in 2008, followed by new residential installments (27.0%) and commercial contracts (25.2%). The other categories of demand were for factory-built homes, new commercial construction and transportation.

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2008
Market size: $2.2 billion
Source: Floor Covering Weekly, July 20, 2009, page 27
Original source: Catalina Research

Size of the U.S. Carpet Market

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The market size presented is based on shipments by carpet manufacturers. Leading carpet producers are Shaw (37.2% of the market), Mohawk (30%), and Beaulieu (9.7%).

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2008
Market size: $10.8 billion
Source: Floor Covering Weekly, July 2, 2009, page 16
Original source: Interconsult

Size of the Countertop Market

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Counters are tracked based on the primary material used in their production. The market breaks down by category as follows: laminates 63%, solid surface 12%, tile 7%, and stone 7%.

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2008
Market size: 674 million square feet
Source: Countertops, September 2009
Original source: Freedonia Group

Housewrap Market Size

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Housewrap is the thin sheet of material that goes between the sheathing and the siding of a structure. In areas of new construction it is common to see a home wrapped in what looks like wrapping paper covered with a brand name. In our area that name is usually Tyvek (by DuPont). Another important brand of housewrap is Typar (by Fiberweb).

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 2005
Market size: $260 million
Source: “Hardie James Industries,” September 17, 2008
Original source: Hardie James Industries