Brazil | Vinyl Constructionns

New applications encourage the use of vinyl in construction

After consolidating itself as the main raw material used in the pipes and fittings segment, vinyl shows signs it can surpass other materials widely used in the civil construction sector. Manufactured locally by Braskem and Solvay Indupa, the resin begins making its way onto markets dominated today by aluminum, wood and ceramics in the segment for residential windows and linings, among other applications. The advancement of the resin in civil construction was evidenced last month when the city hall of Maceió (AL) inaugurated the first school made with concrete vinyl in Brazil. The use of the material in the project a partnership between the municipal administration and Braskem is justified by the product’s advantages in relation to some of its competitors. These differences, according to specialists, originate from the thermal characteristics of the material and the ease of installation and cleaning. Vinyl is widely used in regions where cold weather presents extreme temperatures. The answer is found in the resin’s thermal insulation power.

Thermal property increases the resin’s comparative advantage

In practically every region of the world, the use of vinyl in windows surpasses the use of other materials. Last year, according to estimates by Solvay, the market for vinyl window frames grew 25% over 2007. Another segment gaining room in Brazil is the market for vinyl linings. The system, whose demand grew 12% last year according to Solvay, is already predominant at domestic fuel stations, substituting metallic structures. Other construction that uses vinyl linings are medical buildings and churches, according to Solvay’s Product Manager for Mercosul. These locations count on the flame retardant effect and low maintenance cost of the material, besides its thermal properties, along with the practicality of installation and cleaning. Another important factor is its weight, which is far lighter.  

Fast execution presents an advantage

These same factors made possible the gamble by the city hall of Maceió in building the school made from vinyl. Although the assembly cost is greater (the products are not yet produced on a large scale) when compared to a building using the traditional system, beginning with the masonry, the school is different because of the 25-year guarantee and speed of construction. The project took only three months to be concluded. When considering only the construction, after establishing the job site, it is possible to build a home in three to five days, highlights Braskem’s Vinyl Business Unit director. As a defender of the high productivity of vinyl constructions, the company intends to deliver 70 vinyl homes this year to some of the flood victims from the state of Santa Catarina. In the state of Espírito Santo, the construction of more than one hundred schools with vinyl is expected. According to Braskem, an area of 40 m2 requires 700 kg of resin. 

Solvay prepares to launch new production line

Instituto do PVC has an extensive list of the resin’s applications. Therefore, believes the entity, the potential for growth in this market is enormous. To expand its use, the raw material suppliers work in partnership with the construction companies to showcase the advantages of resin – an important difference in sustainable projects, called greenbuilding. Attuned to this scenario, the two companies with factories in Brazil have plans to increase production capacity in the next few years. Braskem awaits the availability of electrical energy in the region to expand the capacity of its unit in the state of Alagoas. Solvay, which announced the conclusion of the expansion project at its Santo André (SP) unit, has plans for a new production line coming soon. The project aims to serve the growing demand. In 2008, despite the effects of the crisis in the last months of the year, the apparent consumption of vinyl in Brazil grew 27.2%, according to data from Abiquim. The growth slowed this year due to the recession in the Brazilian economy, but the outlook is still positive for vinyl manufacturers. Responsible for consuming 60 to 70% of the vinyl produced in Brazil, the civil construction sector has been feeling signs of improvement in the demand for real estate. At the end of last year, the continuous growth recorded since 2004 was interrupted due to aggravation of the global financial crisis. 

Government projects influence the decision-making process of companies

The work on announced projects has not been interrupted, but there was concern about discontinuing construction of new homes beginning in the 2nd semester, since there were practically no announcements of new projects. Since the end of 2008, the federal government has announced measures that support construction to combat the effects of the crisis and stimulate the sector. The most important initiatives is the housing program "My Home, My Life”, focused on producing homes for individuals with low income of up to 10 minimum monthly salaries. With these measures, some corporations focused in the economic sector or which are increasing their participation in this area, informed the market projections for new projects and sales. The program’s measures are becoming a key piece in the decision-making of companies. 

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