The Chemistry of Construction

By Cynthia Challener

The construction industry relies heavily on chemical technology to provide many of the functional properties expected of construction materials. The chemical industry, in return, generates a significant amount of sales on products designed for this market sector. It is not surprising, therefore, that most leading chemical companies offer construction chemicals and building materials and are willing to continually invest in innovation to expand design and per­formance possibilities.

A single family housing unit consumes on average over $15,000 worth of chemicals per year, according to the American Chemistry Council in its Year-End 2010 Situation and Outlook report published in December 2010. Residential construction, along with commercial con­struction and infrastructure, comprise the three major segments of the industry. Although commercial construction is the largest, all three segments use chemicals and building materi­als in a vast array of product types.

The U.S. construction chemical industry is valued at $7.7 billion and is growing at a rate of 3.4% through 2013, according to a January 2010 report published by market research firm The Freedonia Group. Meanwhile, the global construction chemicals market is predicted to surpass $34 billion by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts (GIA) in an October 2010 report. The recession continues to affect the housing industries in the U.S. and Europe, but signs of recovery have been noted in both regions. Strongest growth will be experienced in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, where urbanization is a key driver for building construction. Sustainability is also impacting investment in new chemical technologies for the construction industry.