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[June 2008]
Focus on US Bricks and Blocks Says Demand Will Rebound
A Freedonia Group report, ‘Bricks and Blocks’, says surprisingly that US demand will rebound after a dip.
US demand for brick and block products is projected to rebound from a weak 2007 base to 14.5 billion units in 2012. Consumption is heavily dependent upon building construction; with clay brick being used primarily in residential construction, while concrete block and brick products are predominantly used in non-residential building.
Demand fell sharply in 2006 and 2007 as residential construction activity collapsed, particularly single family home building, the major outlet for clay brick products. Going forward, the report says that consumption will benefit from a recovery in residential building markets, coupled with continued gains in non-residential building.
Increasingly, producers will benefit from growing demand for specialty brick and block products, such as autoclaved aerated concrete block and non-traditional products in a variety of different colours, shapes and textures. So-called ‘green bricks’, which can be manufactured at lower cost and with less energy, have also been introduced, although their presence in the market remains small.
www.freedoniagroup.com
ENDS