Construction Polymers Market

Market Overview

The global construction polymers market consists of well-diversified global and regional players with the global players accounting for a substantial market share. The construction polymers market is highly fragmented into major countries such as China, India, United States, etc. and is consists of large number of local players.

However, prominent players in the construction polymers market include BASF SE (Germany), DuPont (United States), Solvay SA (Belgium), Arkema SA (France), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), PolyOne Corporation (United States), etc. Furthermore, these key players are striving towards the development of bio-based construction polymers that has been identified as a recent trend within the construction polymers market.

The continuous hike in the demand of reliable raw materials in the sector of construction is likely to unfold the growth strings of the construction polymers market across the globe. The building & construction segment almost account for ~ 20% of the global construction polymers market, followed by the automotive industry.

The largest share is contributed by the Housing Real Estate Construction segment in the global construction polymers market. This segment represented ~ 30 Mn tonnes or ~ 40% of the market share in 2018. Further, this segment under construction polymers is expected to represent a CAGR of ~ 5.5% over the forecast period.

Rapid infrastructural and construction activities, fueled by the economic boom in emerging economies, is foretold to drive the construction polymers market growth. Fact.MR forecasts the global construction polymers market to represent a CAGR of ~ 6.5% in terms of value from 2019-2027.

Building & Construction Sector to Shape the Construction Polymers Market Growth

Ceaseless growth of the construction sector is will generate the need for new and sustainable construction materials, thus driving the market of construction polymers. Infrastructures require more advanced, superincumbent, and appropriate constructional materials.

Due to this, construction polymers have become increasingly important as an engineering material. Polymers are one of the essential building blocks in the construction of engines, vehicles, household articles, and buildings. Factors such as widespread availability of raw materials, inherent properties, and flexible processing methods are reflecting favorably on the global demand for construction polymers.

The construction industry is typically cautious about changing tried-and-tested methods and requires new materials to have a proven track record, these are some restraining factors in construction polymers market.

Construction polymers has widespread applications including road, roofing, foundations, and paneling. Some of the other applications of construction polymers are glazing sealants, bridge bearings, waterproof membranes, and flooring, among others. Benefits of construction polymers are often too great to ignore and they are making a big impact in number of areas.

Developed and emerging countries are investing lots of money on infrastructure, connecting cities, and introducing new regulatory firms for better development. Therefore, various opportunities is likely to generate in these countries, which is projected to help the construction polymers market to blossom in these regions.

Since the construction polymers are gaining the importance as a significant raw material in the construction of green buildings. Thus, the government has been taking initiatives towards green building projects, which will increase the growth of the construction polymers market across the globe.

Polyvinyl Chloride to Remain as Leading Trait in the Construction Polymers Market

The report analyzed the range of products used in construction polymers such as Polyvinylchloride, Polyurethane, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polyisobutylene, PMMA, Ethyl Vinyl Acetate, Polycarbonate, Epoxy Resins, and others.

In construction polymers market, polyvinyl chloride holds the largest share among other types of polymers used in the industry. In 2018, the global consumption of PVC was estimated to account for ~ 42 million tonnes, and the most significant user of PVC is the construction industry accounting for ~ 60% of the global production.

In the United States, ~ 80% of windows have been replaced by PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), followed by 8-10% being aluminum and steel. Furthermore, as per the report of, APFE (Association of European glass-fiber producers), building and construction applications represent ~ 30% of Europe’s overall FRP market.

The stats show that the construction industry is tending towards new alternatives and construction polymers are the promising ones. New constructions along with the demand for bio-based construction material is likely to propel the construction polymers market growth in the forecast period.

Construction Polymers: Regional Market Outlook

On the basis of region, the global construction polymers market is divided into five major regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Approximately 50% of polymers consumed by the construction sector across the globe are produced in the Asia Pacific region, predominantly in China and India.

South East Asia and North America are expected to dominate the export market of polyethylene. North America, Western Europe, Middle East, and South East Asia are projected to import polypropylene because of the growing demand for green buildings in these regions. Increased demand for polymers in the construction as well as packaging industries is expected to boost the export scenario in construction polymers market.

~ 60% of all Asian markets provide new completions of the housing projects. There were lots of small and large completions in Tokyo, Melbourne, Manila, and other cities of Asia. Rentals for spaces also increased ~ 3.6% y-o-y, which created an upshift in the construction industry.

The government is taking initiatives for a new industrial strategy to provide greater support for local industries, big infrastructure projects, house-building, and much more. The minimum energy efficiency standards or “MEES” will make it unlawful to keep commercial buildings below an EPC rating of E from April 2018.

China has witnessed a meteoric growth in the construction sector over the last decade. It discovered the concept of urbanization in 2007, and since then, the country reported unprecedented growth.

The country is now focusing on the smart growth by incorporating polymers technology in new construction projects. Existing Grade ‘A’ stock in China’s top 20 cities is ~ 32 million sq. m and the demand is expected to increase to ~ 80 million sq. m in 2025.

Construction Polymers Yet to Gain Complete Trust

Being a relatively new material in the construction sector, construction polymers are under heavy scrutiny. The performance and properties of construction materials have always been on top of the list when it comes to gauging reliability, and polymers falls under no different class.

A thorough assessment is yet to be made in context of understanding the limitation of construction polymers. The introduction of polymeric materials also give rise to new concerns associated with ageing, weathering, and longevity.

However, construction polymers still lack sufficient visibility in various parts of the world, which hampers its popularity to a certain degree. Some of the most significant challenges for the sector are “to become greener” and “more sustainable” without compromising on fundamentals.

Shifting Focus Towards Environmentally Sustainable Construction Materials

Governments across the globe are putting lots of pressure to shift focus towards environmentally sustainable construction materials. As a result, some companies have started to incline towards environmentally viable products such as polycarbonate building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels that are used for cladding, roofing, and glazing.

These innovative panels allow architects and builders a greater freedom in design. Similar, eco-friendly fireproof and high-strength polymer composites are also gaining momentum in the construction polymers market.

Various studies suggest that greenhouse gas emissions from buildings might reach an alarming state in the near future, if proper measures are not taken. As per the report of U.S. Green Building Council, commercials and households building sectors account for ~ one-third of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States per year. Which is a big challenge to overcome in the market of construction polymers, as it will also create new opportunities for and push the market towards innovative products.

Furthermore, the global movement towards controlling carbon emissions and taking hold of environmental conditions has led to implement new rules and regulations creating favorable conditions for the bio-based construction polymers market to grow. The construction industry is the major consumer of polymers, for use in pipe fittings, insulation, and others.

In the construction polymers, bio-based polyurethane has major opportunity as it is offering various advantages such as reduced cost of structures, increased lifespans, anti-resistant, and light weight.

Green Building Trends: The Untapped market

Countries such as China and India are realizing the environmental implications of robust industrial development and urbanization. Therefore, the need to check emissions and cut down of energy consumption is now considered one of the top priorities across the globe. Number of initiatives have been taken by the government. For example in Germany, 70 year old area of residential households is to be retrofitted with new materials and technological advancements.

Similarly, in the United States, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 was approved by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in July and was formally launched in November 2013. The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) has been adopted by several states and local jurisdictions across the U.S. Along with this, new version of the LEED rating system brought with it several new changes that sophisticated the world of green buildings. LEED v4 also encompasses cradle-to-cradle design more stringently.

This means among other criteria, products and resources used are environmentally safe, designed for recycling or composting, and the manufacturing process must make use of renewable energy and carbon management. The growing awareness among people regarding green buildings and the government support will create many opportunities in the construction polymers market.

Segmentation

Fact.MR has segmented the construction polymers market on the basis of type, end-use sector, application, construction activity, and by region.

By Polymer Type	Epoxy Resins Polystyrene  Polycarbonate Polyethylene  Polyisobutylene  Polymethylmethacrylate  Polypropylene  Polyurethane  Polyvinylchloride  Others
By End Use Sector	Commercial Real Estate Construction  Housing Real Estate Construction  Industrial Construction Facility Infrastructure  Transportation Infrastructure  Utility Infrastructure  Other Infrastructure
By Application	Walls Floorings  Pipings  Windows  Roofs  Insulation and Sliding Glazing  Cladding  Plastic Wraps Other Applications
By Construction Activity	New Construction  Renovation Market
By Region	Asia Pacific North America Europe Latin America Middle East and Africa