The U.S. Concrete Industry

The concrete industry produces approximately 10 billion tons of concrete worldwide.  In the U.S. the industry has an annual production of 500 million tons with an estimated value of $35 billion and employs more than 2 million employees.  It is suggested that with the amount of the U.S.’s yearly production that it equals to about two tons for every man, woman and child.   To produce these types of volumes, it requires vast amounts of natural resources to supply the aggregate needed as well as to make the cement.  Concrete is used to build highways, streets and bridges, commercial, industrial, medical and educational structures, residential housing and other construction markets.   

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) reports that there is an estimated 5,500 ready mixed concrete plants located throughout the country.  They also report that the industry has around 55,000 ready mixed concrete mixer trucks that are used to deliver the material to the jobsite.   

It is critical to the success of the placement of the concrete to have plants located close to urban areas as well as to rural locations as the material needs to be delivered to the site in a timely manner.  This means that concrete production facilities are typically located “within 60 to 90 minutes travelling distance from any construction project.” 

It is also interesting to note that approximately 75% of the cement shipped to the U.S. is used by the ready mixed concrete industry.  In addition to the portland cement, concrete may also contain industrial byproducts such as fly ash derived from coal burning power plants and slag from the manufacturing of iron.  Silica fume, a byproduct of the silicon and ferrosilicon alloy production, is used as a pozzolanic material for high performance concrete. 

The Conco Companies are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  Our experience includes providing services for commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Sources: nrmca.org/concrete/data.asp

columbia.edu/cu/civileng/meyer/publications/publications/83%20Concrete%20Materials%20and%20Sustainable%20Development.pdf