International Corner

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Although summer is a busy season for roofing contractors, 60 industry peers set aside some time to participate in NRCA's largest study tour to date, China Roofing & Waterproofing 2002 held in Beijing July 30-Aug. 4.

Participants had the opportunity to visit the First China International Exhibition for Roofing & Waterproofing Technology, which consisted of 159 foreign and domestic exhibitors and was attended by about 10,000 people. In addition to the trade show, a collection of dissertations was presented at the Second China International Symposium on Waterproofing Technology and Market, which offered information about various roofing technologies, demographics of the Chinese roofing market and construction projects for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Site visit

While in Beijing, study tour participants visited a construction project in its initial stages. Because of Beijing's water table, most construction in the area begins by waterproofing a building's foundation to prevent water saturation from the ground. Participants saw a Carlisle two-ply APP-modified bitumen membrane applied to five mud slabs each with an area of about 25,000 square feet (2250 m²).

A Carlisle APP-modified bitumen membrane was applied to five mud slabs.

China Roofing & Waterproofing 2002 participants saw a Beijing construction project's foundation waterproofed.

Outlook

Viewing the construction project also changed participants' views about Chinese business. Harry Bosma, president of NRCA member Oakwood Roofing and Sheet Metal Co. Ltd., Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, summed up participants' views about China the best: "I cannot get over the modern buildings and number of cranes and construction sites we saw. I perhaps was most impressed with the fact that this communist country was so advanced in its approach to business and free enterprise."

An example of China's growing business environment is the increased demand the country is experiencing for waterproofing materials. The demand and sales of newly introduced waterproofing materials have increased about 8 percent from 1999 to 2001, specifically for SBS- and APP-modified bitumen membranes.

According to Chen Jian, president of the China National Waterproof Building Materials Industry Association (CNWBMIA), the Chinese Construction Ministry has issued many new codes and revised standards that will impose better regulations for roofing application procedures and help ensure manufacturers will produce better, safer products to create high-quality roof systems.

In addition, economists genuinely are optimistic about China's economic outlook. A report from Qiu Xiohua, deputy commissioner of the National Bureau of

Statistics of the People's Republic of China, says, " ... the national economy keeps comparatively fast growth, and the overall performance is good, which has paved the way for reaching the year's target of 7 percent growth."

NRCA's future in China

As a result of the success of the trade show and study tour in Beijing, NRCA and CNWBMIA announced they will partner to coordinate the Second China International Exhibition for Roofing & Waterproofing Technology in Shanghai during 2004.

For additional information about this year's or the 2004 trade show and study tour, contact me at (956) 664-2370 or e-mail ohinojosa@nrca.net.

Olicia Hinojosa is NRCA's manager of international relations and work force programs.