Polymers in Construction

Consumption of plastics by the building and construction sector in Western Europe is predicted to rise by more than 60%, to almost 8 million tonnes in 2010. Construction is already the second largest market for plastics after packaging, accounting for 20% (4.89 million tonnes) of total plastics consumption in 1995. This increase reflects a trend over the last 25 years, which has seen the building industry increasingly use plastics. In the future, there will be few construction needs that plastics and advanced resins will not meet. As well as providing the materials for innovative design, plastics also make a significant contribution to other long-life applications such as pipes, insulation, windows, cables and floor coverings - which are often taken for granted. The use of plastics in gas, sewage and water piping has tripled in the last 25 years. Plastics are used very effectively for various structural and non-structural applications in construction, because they provide long-lasting and easy solutions. This new handbook is designed to provide a wealth of information on the use of plastics in construction. The chapters are all written by acknowledged experts in their fields.