US brick, block & paver market set for +8.8% growth

Demand for bricks, blocks and pavers in the US is forecast to rise +8.8% a year from a low base in 2013 to US$ 8.9 billion in 2018 according to a new study by market research company The Freedonia Group.

The company said growth would be due to the broad construction market recovery, although it added that the current rebound in new house construction was particularly significant. It noted that bricks were used most intensively in single-family residential construction.

Forecasts analyst Mariel Behnke said, “Bricks, typically made of clay, will see the most rapid growth of any product, driven by the expected robust increases in new housing construction.”

However, The Freedonia Group said structural blocks were the biggest segment of the market, worth some US$ 2.95 billion last year out of a total bricks, blocks & pavers market of US$ 5.8 billion. IT said demand for structural blocks is concentrated in nonresidential markets, where they are used both in foundations and in above-grade walls. The structural block segment is expected to rise to US$ 3.7 billion by 2018.

In the pavers sector, the company said increasing interest in aesthetically pleasing features such as terraced landscaping and paver patios and walks would continue to support demand for these products across many markets. It added that interest in ‘green’ building materials such as permeable pavers or products made from recycled plastics were also significant.

The full report, Bricks, Blocks & Pavers, is available from The Freedonia Group.