Market Trends of Geotextile Industry
Increasing Demand in Road Construction
- Geotextiles are made from synthetic polymers, mainly polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, and others, that are very unlikely to decay under biological and chemical processes.
- This feature makes geotextiles suitable for the construction and maintenance of roads. In the past decade, there has been considerable growth in the usage of geotextiles in the construction industry worldwide.
- According to data from the European Disposables and Non-wovens Association (EDANA), around 750 km of geotextile non-wovens are manufactured and sold every year, of which 60% is used for the construction of roads.
- These materials have permeable textile structures and are used primarily in construction applications. The possible applications of geotextiles in the construction sector have been successfully developed. They offer significant benefits in terms of financial feasibility, performance, and durability.
- Moreover, the increase in construction spending and work worldwide may lead to increased demand for geotextiles. For instance, the Federal Highway Administration for the fiscal year 2024 allocated USD 61 billion for 12 formula programs to aid investment in critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, tunnels, carbon-emission reduction, and safety improvements. This funding from the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) was allocated for all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
- Furthermore, highway and bridge construction in the United States is expected to increase by 23% to USD 147.1 billion in 2024 over the previous year. Additionally, the country's total value of transportation construction work may grow by 14% to USD 214 billion in 2024.
- Most of the available geotextiles are made of polypropylene or polyester. Polypropylene material is strong and durable and is lighter than water. According to a globally leading material manufacturing company, HUBS polypropylene accounts for 35% to 40% of worldwide output, followed by other materials like polyethylene (15%), ABS (25%), and polystyrene (10%).
- Various companies are investing in their polypropylene (PP) manufacturing plants to increase the output of PP material that will be used more in construction activities. For instance, in July 2022, the Canadian company Heartland Polymers fully commissioned its polypropylene (PP) plant with a planned production capacity of 525,000 tons of polypropylene per year at the Heartland Petrochemical Complex in Alberta, Canada.
- These materials are used in the construction of roads, highways, earth dams, and railroads, in the stabilization of soil, control of drainage, tunnel construction, etc.
- Thus, the above-mentioned factors are expected to drive the geotextile market during the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market
- Asia-Pacific held the largest market share in the overall geotextile market worldwide. The ongoing developments in the construction industry are the main drivers of the geotextile market in the area.
- China is expected to be the major market for geotextiles in the region as the country has mega-scale infrastructure projects year-round. For instance, the Chinese government is working to expand its high-speed railway network to 50,000 km by 2025.
- According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the country's infrastructure investment in 2023 increased 5.9% in value compared to 2022.
- According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, the Indian roads and highways market is projected to register a CAGR of 36.16% in 2025 on account of growing government initiatives to improve transportation infrastructure in the country.
- According to the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, India, the total road network is 6.37 million km, comprising all categories of roads (national and state highways, urban and rural roads), which is the second largest in the world. Furthermore, the country launched the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) in 2020, which envisages an investment of USD 1,338 billion between 2020 and 2025.
- The construction sector of other Asia-Pacific countries is also growing Y-o-Y. For instance, according to the Bank of Korea, South Korea's construction sector accounted for approximately USD 67.1 billion in 2023, representing a 4% growth rate over 2022.
- Therefore, the aforementioned factors may fuel the demand for geotextiles in Asia-Pacific during the forecast period.
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