Large Diameter Pipe Demand to Reach 208 Million Ft in 2009
Large diameter pipe demandin the United States is forecast to increase 2.4 percent yearly to nearly 208million ft in 2009 (a value of $8 billion), according to the FreedoniaGroup.
Concrete pipe will remain dominant due to material advantages suchas structural integrity, durability and high compression and pressure resistancein demanding underground applications. Demand for large diameter concrete pipeis forecast to grow slowly to 112 million ft in 2009.
Plastic pipe willpresent the best opportunities, based on performance improvements and cost andinstallation advantages. Storm sewers will remain the dominant large diameterpipe market due to broad applications and an aging pipe network. The market forlarge diameter plastic pipe is forecast to grow 4.7 percent annually to 42.3million ft in 2009.
Cast iron is projected to grow 0.9 percent annuallyto 25.8 million ft in 2009 and steel pipe is expected to grow 0.4 percentannually to 25.5 million ft. Clay pipe is expected to decrease by 1.5 percentannually to 2.4 million ft in 2009.
