Global Concrete Cooling Market - 20222-2029

Global Concrete Cooling Market - 20222-2029

Market Overview

The global concrete cooling market reached US$ XX million in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ XX million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period (2022-2029).

Concrete cooling is mostly employed in huge amounts of concrete projects in warm areas. When concrete cures, it must maintain a minimum favorable temperature in the range of 10 – 21 degrees Celsius for the minimum required curing period. If it cures at temperatures higher than this, the concrete loses strength, more cracking occurs, it sets quickly and the water consumption increases. As a result, concrete cooling is critical, especially given concrete's crucial role in practically every construction activity.

A commonly used method for concrete cooling is to replace part of the water added to the mix with flake ice. The change from flake ice to water absorbs significant energy and significantly lowers the mix's temperature. It is common to cool concrete in hot weather - particularly for mass concrete applications - to prevent thermal cracking and durability problems. An increasingly popular cooling method is the injection of liquid nitrogen (LN2) into the drums of concrete trucks. During an investigation of the effects of liquid nitrogen on concrete properties, it was observed that the practice has incredible impacts on concrete slump and setting time.

Market Dynamics

The global concrete cooling market is expected to boost demand to reduce thermal cracking and increase long-term durability of concrete.

Demand to reduce thermal cracking and increase long-term durability of concrete

Many contemporary concrete structures are built with long spans and hefty loads in mind. The sizes of the required components—drilled shafts, foundations, footings and columns—often go beyond standard practices. Higher cementitious material contents, lower water-to-cementitious-material ratios and deeper cover over reinforcing steel resulted from a greater emphasis on durability. As a result of these requirements, more concrete installations are exposed to high interior temperatures.

The issue with high interior temperatures is that they raise the risk of thermal cracking, reducing concrete's long-term durability and ultimate strength. By providing a direct conduit for corrosion-causing chemicals to reach the reinforcing steel, thermal cracking defeats the benefits of less permeable concrete and deeper cover. To deal with these issues, designers are treating concrete with cooling techniques.

While there are numerous cooling ways to control the internal temperature in mass concrete placements, liquid nitrogen is very effective. To ensure proper strength development and evade cracking of the concrete, the guidelines suggest that concrete temperature must be maintained higher than a certain temperature for a specific amount of time (40°F) >5°C)) for 48 hours).

Various leading projects have seen the use of concrete cooling projects to ensure long-term building stability. For instance, in 2020, Ready Mix USA to provide approximately 80,000 cubic yards of ready-mix concrete for the construction of 1105 West Peachtree, a hotel, new office and residential complex in midtown Atlanta. The US$ 530 million-dollar project required 80,000 cubic yards of concrete and will require a super-strong foundation of 8000 psi mass. To achieve this strength, RMUSA built two liquid nitrogen cooling stations to ensure the concrete is poured at the ideal temperature to achieve stringent specifications of about negative 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Low use of concrete cooling in colder countries

Various cold countries in North America and Europe, such as Germany, France, Italy and UK, have low concrete cooling demands due to the low temperatures in these regions. Buildings and construction activities in these regions need less or no cooling system resulting in low demands for the concrete cooling market.

However, these regions need concrete heating methods for effective applications. A particular minimum concrete temperature is normally required when pouring concrete in cold weather. When the air temperature is between +5 and -3 degrees Celsius, the concrete temperature must be at least +5 degrees Celsius throughout the pouring process. If the temperature is below -3 degrees Celsius, a concrete temperature of +10 degrees Celsius is required. The precaution is important because concrete curing at +5 °C takes nearly twice as long as concrete curing at +20 °C. Similarly, frost cause blasting and thus microstructural flaws quickly after the concrete is poured.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the demand for the concrete cooling market drastically due to global construction and retrofit activity reduction. Investment in building construction declined by 20% to 30% in major advanced economies in 2020, impacting the market growth. Infrastructure projects totaling more than US$ 9.6 billion have been delayed or canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Sixteen states in the U.S. announced project delays or cancellations worth approximately US$ 5 billion. In comparison, the report asserts that another 20 local governments and authorities have scratched or put off projects worth another US$ 4.54 billion.

However, some highway construction projects were also paced up during the pandemic due to a decline in transportation activities. With the closure of theme parks in Orlando, Florida's DOT accelerated several highway improvements and expansion projects, including a considerable portion of the 1-4 Ultimate Project. In cities such as Montana, the city government prioritized many intersection improvements, taking benefit of the estimated 40-50% reduction in road traffic to get the repairs done.

Segment Analysis

The global concrete cooling market is segmented based on type, application and region.

The versatility of N2 gas has boosted the market for concrete cooling compared to other methods

Based on type, the global concrete cooling market is segmented into water cooling, ice cooling, air cooling, liquid nitrogen cooling and others.

Compressing and cooling nitrogen gas below its evaporation point of roughly –320° F produces liquid nitrogen. The key benefit of LN2 is its versatility, it can be used to cool aggregates or mix water, but it's most typically pumped into the drum of a ready-mix truck. LN2 can chill concrete to as low as 1° F or as much as is required. Small field generators power LN2 equipment; thus, there is no need for an external power supply or a large-capacity generator.

LN2 has the advantage of directly modifying the temperature of the concrete when injected into it. Cooling materials before or during batching are used in all other concrete cooling methods. LN2 is the only cooling technology that permits the concrete to be readjusted in the field. It necessitates fewer people than adding ice at a batch facility. Plant or truck modifications are not required for LN2 injection. The usage of LN2 in the field does not affect mix proportioning or batch operations.

However, LN2 has several potential downsides; the most significant is its cost. Depending on related local costs and material availability, equipment and unit materials costs may be greater than other cooling methods. Setting up and running the field operation takes time and money, increasing LN2 costs. On the other hand, unless the project is big enough to justify aggregate inundation, LN2 is the only practical way to cool concrete by over 20° F. LN2 has been used on some projects to precool the concrete mix to 35° F.

In 2020, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced their specifications for hot weather concreting. The new specifications allow the use of liquid N2 to cool aggregate for concrete construction. After collaborating with NITROcrete, producers and third-party testing agencies, this specification development reflects the extensive research and testing that proves NITROcrete's automated method for producing liquid nitrogen is safe for use on aggregate. Older LN methods supply liquid nitrogen in the back of the ready-mix truck after the initial mixing. NITROcrete uses a different technology. After rigorous examination, including various ASTM aggregate tests and petrographic analysis, ADOT agreed with the test results that revealed that liquid nitrogen does not harm coarse or fine aggregates.

Geographical Analysis

Rapid expansion in construction activities will boost the demand for concrete cooling in Asia-Pacific

Hot climatic conditions and the possibilities for several infrastructural developments resulted in their domination in this market. Due to the high temperature in these regions, the concrete and water ratio is affected, which decreases the concrete strength and bonding properties. The construction sector has developed rapidly with the rise in purchasing powers in developing countries, boosting the concrete cooling market.

According to the Fitch Solutions Infrastructure Report, China is the largest construction market globally and is forecasted to grow at an average of 8.6% between 2022 and 2030. Data from the American Institute of Architects Shanghai reports that by 2025, China will have constructed the equal to 10 New York-sized cities since the 1990s. The architectural design and engineering industry revenue in China surpassed US$ 1 trillion in 2019. Under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a notice to implement Urban Renewal Actions in 2020.

Moreover, India's GVA by the Construction Sector is estimated to be about US$ 192 billion in 2019-20 as compared to US$ 183.5 billion in 2018-19. The infrastructure sector will require investments valued at US$ 965.5 million by 2040.

In 2020, Lintec & Linnhoff announced its re-entry into the Indian market, one of the Group’s stronghold markets for the Linnhoff brand for over two decades. Under a brand-new global business strategy, the Group is committed to providing support to all its local clients, managing its existing fleet of plants and meeting their future project needs. The Group will manufacture the latest Linnhoff asphalt mixing plant models; the full range of Eurotec concrete batching plants; containerized asphalt and concrete mixing plants and concrete cooling solutions.

Competitive Landscape

The global concrete cooling market is moderately competitive due to its need in only specific regions. Major players in the market include Lintec & Linnhoff, RMtec, North Star Ice Equipment, Coldcrete Inc., KTI - Plersch Kältetechnik GmbH, ConCool, Recom Ice Systems, B.V. Kirloskar, Focusun Refrigeration Corporation, Dryvit Systems, Inc among others.

The major players in the market are known to incorporate numerous market strategies to achieve growth in global concrete cooling market; these include acquisitions, product launches and collaborations.

Lintec & Linnhoff

Overview: Lintec & Linnhoff manufactures and distributes leading-edge solutions for asphalt concrete materials production. Solutions include concrete batching plants, asphalt mixing plants and specialist concrete cooling solutions that support industry standards for environmental impact and reusability. The group has expanded its sales distribution network to over 20 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, beyond its strong traditional markets in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia and China.

Product Portfolio: Concrete Cooling: The range of Eurotec concrete cooling systems uses several techniques to produce the high-quality concrete pour by reducing and controlling the poured concrete temperature levels within acceptable limits. The products include ice plants for concrete cooling, a flake ice plant and a chilled water plant.

Key Development: In 2020, Lintec & Linnhoff announced its new manufacturing facility in Malaysia, further expanding its production capacity by 282,000 sq. ft. The plan is part of its global expansion strategy to support the continuous growth of its manufacturing activities. The company has expanded the concrete cooling and continuous asphalt plant portfolio to address more customer segments.

Why Purchase the Report?

To visualize the global concrete cooling market segmentation by type, application and region and understand key commercial assets and players.

Identify commercial opportunities in the global concrete cooling market by analyzing trends and co-development.

Excel data sheet with numerous data points of concrete cooling market-level with four segments.

PDF report consisting of cogently put together market analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study.

Type mapping available as excel consists of key products of all the major market players

The global concrete cooling market report would provide approximately 53 tables, 46 figures and almost 210 pages.

Target Audience 2022

Service Providers/ Buyers

Industry Investors/Investment Bankers

Concrete Manufacturers

Construction Companies

Governments

Education & Research Institutes

Research Professionals

Emerging Companies

Manufacturers

Distributors