World of Concrete 2012 wraps up Friday in Las Vegas and the show’s 50,000 attendees are optimistic and expect better days ahead.
One indicator of the concrete market is the annual Cement Outlook presented by Ed Sullivan, economist for the Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. Cement consumption is expected to increase significantly in 2013, the first time an increase has been predicted in the past five years.
While his presentation focused primarily on the infrastructure, he noted there was a “tinge of optimism” for other markets including public utilities, industrial, and retail sectors.
By 2017, cement consumption is expected to reach levels last recorded in 2005. “The construction market is in a 12-year peak-to-peak recovery,” said Sullivan. A number of factors, including a reduction in office vacancy rates as well as unemployment rates must come to fruition before the construction market sees a significant recovery, says Sullivan.
"Jobs will determine the growth rate in the economy and also shorten the healing process," Sullivan said. "The more jobs, the more recovery at the state level, the more construction spending."
A host of GCs and concrete contractors noted an increase in residential and commercial business, however their profit margins are expected remain small in 2012.
Meanwhile, WOC 2012 exhibitors rolled out a series of new products. Maxwell Systems showcased its new construction management software; ProSpec introduced a new high-strength grout that contributes to LEED credits; and Laticrete introduced their Supercap Pump Truck, a mobile blending unit that can deliver up to 15 tons of material per hour. BD+C
Related Stories
| Sep 17, 2013
Complex stained glass restoration under way on Wisconsin Capitol Building
Work is under way at the Wisconsin State Capitol on an extensive $2.7 million, 14-month renovation to the skylights above the House and Senate chambers, along with the barrel vault skyline above the grand staircase and the panels in the rotunda dome.
| Sep 16, 2013
Study analyzes effectiveness of reflective ceilings
Engineers at Brinjac quantify the illuminance and energy consumption levels achieved by increasing the ceiling’s light reflectance.
| Sep 16, 2013
Does brainstorming work?
The idea-generating process known as brainstorming has come under some intense fire recently. Critics contend that it suspends much-needed criticism and conflict while suppressing the creative ideas of introverts.
| Sep 16, 2013
Passive solar, enhanced envelope crucial to Univ. of Illinois net-zero project
Passive solar strategies and an enhanced envelope are keys to achieving net-zero on the new 230,000 sf Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
| Sep 16, 2013
Forty-three percent of energy leaders will invest more in efficiency next year (infographic)
Forty-three percent of energy leaders say their investment in energy efficiency next year is projected to be more than it was last year, according to survey results released today by Schneider Electric. Twenty-two percent said their projected investment would stay the same, and 10 percent reported their investment would be less than last year.
| Sep 16, 2013
Forty-three percent of energy leaders will invest more in efficiency next year (infographic)
Forty-three percent of energy leaders say their investment in energy efficiency next year is projected to be more than it was last year, according to survey results released today by Schneider Electric. Twenty-two percent said their projected investment would stay the same, and 10 percent reported their investment would be less than last year.
| Sep 16, 2013
Construction spending hits four-year high in July: AGC report
Total construction spending hit a four-year high in July as private residential and nonresidential activity increased while public spending declined, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials urged lawmakers in Washington to make infrastructure investment a top federal priority before funding runs out at the end of September.
Sponsored | | Sep 16, 2013
Channel glass welcomes Hollywood Casino visitors in style
Turning the site of an abandoned auto factory into a glamorous casino is no easy task. Pilkington Profilit™ low-iron, wave channel glass with a translucent metallic gold coating helped the design team for the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, achieve this goal by capturing the golden age of Hollywood from the outside in.
| Sep 13, 2013
Loews Hotels & Resorts announces major cross-portfolio upgrades
Loews Hotels & Resorts is currently in the midst of a major growth and property redesign initiative, reflecting a strong national trend in hospitality renovation.
| Sep 13, 2013
Insurance expert: Managing green liability risk not so different from 'normal' risk mitigation
Worries about legal liability have long dogged the sustainable building movement, but insurance expert Karen Erger says sustainability lawsuits are caused by the same types of issues that have always prompted clients to sue AEC firms.