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
| Nov 10, 2011
Skanska Moss to expand and renovate Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
The multi-phase terminal improvement program consists of an overall expansion to the airport’s footprint and major renovations to the existing airport terminal.
| Nov 10, 2011
Suffolk Construction awarded MBTA transit facility and streetscape project
The 21,000-sf project will feature construction of a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over Ocean Avenue, an elevated plaza deck above Wonderland MBTA Station, a central plaza, and an at-grade pedestrian crossing over Revere Beach Boulevard
| Nov 10, 2011
Thornton Tomasetti’s Joseph and Choi to co-chair the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Outrigger Design Working Group
Design guide will describe in detail the application of outriggers within the lateral load resisting systems of tall buildings, effects on building behavior and recommendations for design.
| Nov 9, 2011
Lincoln Center Pavilion wins national architecture and engineering award
The project team members include owner Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York; design architect and interior designer of the restaurant, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, New York; executive architect, FXFOWLE, New York; and architect and interior designer of the film center, Rockwell Group, New York; structural engineer Arup (AISC Member), New York; and general contractor Turner Construction Company (AISC Member), New York.
| Nov 9, 2011
Sika Sarnafil Roof Recycling Program recognized by Society of Plastics Engineers
Program leads the industry in recovering and recycling roofing membrane into new roofing products.
| Nov 9, 2011
American Standard Brands joins the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium
American Standard will collaborate with other organizations to build an industry-wide sustainability performance index.
| Nov 8, 2011
Transforming a landmark coastal resort
Originally built in 1973, the building had received several alterations over the years but the progressive deterioration caused by the harsh salt water environment had never been addressed.
| Nov 8, 2011
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Moisture-related failures in agglomerated floor tiles
Agglomerated tiles offer an appealing appearance similar to natural stone at a lower cost. To achieve successful installations, manufacturers should provide design data for moisture-related dimensional changes, specifiers should require in-situ moisture testing similar to those used for other flooring materials, and the industry should develop standards for fabrication and installation of agglomerated tiles.
