Green Concrete Deliveries Approach $10 Billion

Recycled content (e.g., fly ash, blast furnace slag) concrete sales reached $9.5 billion in 2008, representing 15 percent of green building materials

CP Staff

Recycled content (e.g., fly ash, blast furnace slag) concrete sales reached $9.5 billion in 2008, representing 15 percent of green building materials demand. That capped a climb from $6.4 billion in 2003, equivalent to an 8.3 percent annual growth rate. Demand for recycled content concrete is forecast to grow 8.4 percent per year to $14.3 billion in 2013, accounting for an increasing share of total concrete used.

Among green building materials, concrete is second only to floor coverings in dollar volume, according to a new study from Cleveland-based market researcher Freedonia Group. Green Building Materials cites 2008 sales of $57 billion in floor coverings, concrete and four other categories. By 2013, the market is projected to expand 7.2 percent annually to over $80 billion, outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures. While green building materials are expected to account for an increasing share of materials used, growth through 2013 will be driven primarily by residential market recovery from depressed 2008-2009 levels. Û Freedonia Group, 440/684-9600; www.freedoniagroup.com