COVER STORY
»
BY BECKY SCHULTZ
Factors Influencing 2022 Construction & Cement Growth: The Good, The Bad and The Better
D
espite the start of a new year, the U.S. continues to face some all too familiar challenges that threaten to weigh down growth in the months ahead. Yet, opportunities exist, as the economy continues to expand and as the construction industry eagerly awaits disbursement of funds
22 CONCRETE CONTRACTOR
APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2022
under the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Given ongoing risk factors, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) has taken a conservative approach to its annual forecast for cement consumption, which Ed Sullivan, senior vice president and chief economist, projects
will expand just 2.5% in 2022, after rising 3.6% through November 2021. “We’re expecting 2.5% growth this year. That’s in the context of the prevailing interest rate forecast, which we suggest might have room to rise,” Sullivan said in a press conference at World of Concrete 2022. If rates accelerate more
www.ForConstructionPros.com/Concrete
