An estimated 673,000 tons of silicone products are sold to the global construction sector each year, among the largest volumes sold to any sector.
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Silicones Revolutionizing Construction
Silicone materials have revolutionized construction since they were first introduced on the market in the 1960s. The global construction market had an output of $8.8 trillion in 2016 and is expected to be worth $17.5 trillion by 2030.
Silicone products used in construction include sealants, adhesives, and protective coatings.
These unique properties make silicones essential not only in residential and office buildings, but also in bridges, oil rigs, industrial plants, and pipelines. Silicones are particularly well-suited to meet the technical requirements of high rise buildings and glass facades and make some of the most spectacular modern architectural projects possible.
Unique Properties of Silicones
Click on the video to learn more about why many construction companies rely on silicones’ unique properties to help protect, strengthen, preserve, and provide aesthetic and innovative features to buildings.
Silicones are used widely in construction because they:
- Bond with materials, like concrete, glass, granite, marble, aluminum, steel, and plastics
- Are durable and resist decay caused from rough weather conditions, moisture, or sunlight
- Make buildings energy efficient by preventing humidity and hot or cold air from coming through joints and cracks when applied as sealants
- Provide flexibility, reducing damage from small to medium-scale earthquakes
Essential to Many Applications
Silicone coatings are also used to preserve monuments around the world that have been damaged by air pollution, wind, sun and rain exposure. They also are used for moulds to create and repair/restore/protect architectural detail ranging from facades and cornices to ancient sculpture and gargoyles. In addition, on a smaller scale, many residential do-it-yourself projects would not be possible without silicones.
Silicones used in construction materials can contribute to sustainability and energy efficiency:
- Silicone sealants can last three times longer than organic materials used in the same applications
- Applying silicone resin emulsion paints to an unprotected building façade can reduce heat loss by up to 40%
- Silicone additives or coatings can reduce uptake of water by up to 80% compared to traditional building materials. This reduces degradation and lengthens the operational lifetime of the material treated.
