The global drymix mortar industry (Part 2)

Apart from the general contribution of substitution of traditional job site mixing and the growth which arises through this, there are a multitude of growth factors in existance globally. They can be summarized as follows

­– growing ratio of owners vs. tenants (rented property)

­– trend towards the use of attractive finishing materials (e.  g. tiles, parquet)

­– requirement for more precision and durability

­– legal requirements (e.  g. ban on job site mixing; EIFS)

Apart from the mega-projects (e.  g. Olympic Games in Beijing, developments in Dubai), which generate their own economic dynamics, there is a continued demand for high-quality development in the existing urban centres. The use of drymix mortars in new construction is currently increasing at a faster pace than the growth of the construction volume itself (Table 11).

In order to maintain a comfortable living space and attractive offices and malls, a strongly growing market for renovation products and services is evolving. This repair and maintenance industry feeds on the aftermath of new construction, when units were built quickly and cheaply. Bad composite system design, the use of inferior materials and bad workmanship have produced numerous application failures visible to the naked eye of the quality-minded final owners or tenants.

Leaking roofs and problems with indoor condensation (e.  g. subsequently discolorations caused by fungi or bacteria and/or efflorescence) are the most visible causes of damage, even to the layman. Therefore, sealing slurries and renovation renders are very important products in the introduction phase of drymix mortars.

The world has realized that the prevention of global warming and in particular CO₂ emissions is the most important task for the coming decades. Energy is becoming scarce and expensive. For example, in the USA, tenants complain that their electrical bill (mostly for heating and air conditioning) can reach the level of the rent or monthly mortgage payments. The saving of energy and natural resources is the key to solving those problems. Energy consumption targets for new and existing constructions have been postulated and in local and national legislation, the requirements for a building’s performance are in preparation in many countries. Drymix mortar, here used in EIFS to improve the insulation properties of a building is state of the art in retro-
fitting existing buildings.

In the ongoing environmental discussion, cement has come under close scrutiny. In the light of the fact that over 80  % of the drymix mortars produced worldwide contain cement as the major mineral binder, it is important for our industry to prepare for heated discussions concerning the environmental impact of cement production. The contribution of cement manufacturing is estimated to be more than 7  % of the global anthropogenic CO₂-emissions (Plank [10]).

Experts agree that cement cannot be replaced in the short term as a binder system in drymix mortars (and of course not in the precast and concrete industries). The cement industry must improve their production technology and ensure the global spread of environmentally-conscious, low-CO₂ production. This will mean that old plants will have to be refurbished or replaced by new ones. This process is hard to influence by the drymix mortar industry. However, we can show clearly the relevance of cement-based drymix mortars when it comes to the saving of natural resources (thin-bed technology) and the actual CO₂ savings by thermal insulation (EIFS). An eco-balance of drymix mortar could help to soften this debate.

Block-and-mortar outer shell construction is often being replaced by glass facades, with all the technological and ecological disadvantages of curtain walls. In interior construction, gypsum board (dry wall) construction is on the increase. For budget hotels, sports facilities and some large-scale residential developments (especially in the USA), prefabricated bathrooms made of glass-fiber reinforced sheets seem to present an economic advantage.

This is the most immediate threat to the continuing growth of drymix mortar technology worldwide. It has the following causes:

­– oversupply situations

­– inferior products

­– ignorance on the part of the consultants.

All three above-mentioned reasons can be addressed by tactically shrewd drymix mortar manufacturers. Oversupply situations can occur, but can be overcome, if production is reduced in times of crisis and new applications are accessed for drymix mortars.

There is large-scale damage to the reputation of drymix mortar technology itself when bad products are being offered. Garage manufacturers, offering “copycat products”, with lower performance will be kept at bay, if there is a binding standard, flanked by regional legislation (Fig. 9).

Special attention must be given to the training and continued education of architects, engineers and consultants. This, combined with application-specific training, will enable them to act quickly , competently and in an overall cost-saving manner.

As long as there is no specification or official recommendation for the use of drymix mortars, the quality aspects of this technology cannot be fully realized. There are promising initiatives (“quality drives”) by individual governments; also supra-national bodies have started to think about the harmonizing of regulations across borders and/or standards for drymix mortars and other construction products.

Apart from product-specific recommendations, the guidance of local government including legislation is extremely important in the field of investment preservation and safety. This is only possible by establishing long-lasting (min. 5 years), binding and enforceable warranties for system performance and workmanship combined with specified quality systems. Only by means of this measure will contractors, developers and consultants have the incentive to construct modern, durable and maintenance-free buildings. A complete system combining quality with warranty might include the aspects shown in Table 12.

It has been shown that there is a great potential for growth in the global drymix mortar market. The drymix mortar industry has the task to work on the legislative framework, establish binding standards and address the ecological challenges that lie ahead. The adaptation of the current applications to local conditions and building traditions will lead to a host of additional know-how, which can be marketed elsewhere. With competent professionals in the planning sector and with well-trained workers at the contractors, our industry will be able to grow further and reach farther.

Only in very densely populated markets, such as Europe, are drymix mortar manufacturers able to afford to offer strictly volume products (e.  g. renders, masonry mortars). In the global markets, a combined portfolio of volume products and high-value-added drymix mortars will be necessary to tap into the full potential possibilities. Products will have to be continually improved and new applications will have to be introduced by the industry in order to satisfy the demands and face the challenges of the future.

Currently the most dynamic regions for drymix mortars are (in order of importance): China, Brazil, Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey. The fastest growing applications at a global level are renders, EIFS and CTAs, “sleepers” with high potentials outside Europe are screeds, gypsum plasters and SLU’s.