The Mexican construction sector is the link to all economic activities in Mexico not only because it contains 37 of the 73 trades in the Mexican productive sector, which produces economic resources, but also because it provides the necessary infrastructure to support the economic development the society demands. The sector includes the federal government, private industry, educational institutions, agriculture and labor, and other public and private companies related to construction.
The construction scene
Mexico has shown an increase in its gross domestic product (GDP) since 2000 from 6.1 percent to 8.3 percent in 2006, a 2.2 percent growth in six years. The construction trade contributed considerably to this growth; 5 percent of its generated wealth went to the GDP and generated 1.5 million job opportunities in the country.
The residential sector contributes 46 percent of the revenue generated by the Mexican construction industry. During 2000 alone, 477,000 home loans were granted; during 2006, this number increased to 678,000. The Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry predicts that during 2007, 750,000 home loans will be granted.
The commercial sector also has shown a good growth level. During 2006, 110,728,906 square feet of commercial buildings were erected; this represents a 15.8 percent increase from 2005. Shopping centers are becoming the main growth area and an important investment opportunity.
A roofing overview
Roofing represents an important sector of the Mexican construction industry. And as in many other countries, the roofing industry has evolved.
The traditional way of waterproofing and building roof decks in Mexico was with regional materials found on-site.
One of the most common examples involved the use of a mixture of cactus saliva; aluminum; or aluminum, quicklime and soap. These materials were used to waterproof roof decks built out of clay bricks and a layer of compressed dirt as insulation. The dirt was used to slope the deck and provide a 16- to 31 1/2-inch slope depending on the roof area. A roof assembly typically was supported with wood beams. The final touch was a layer of bricks or clay tile added on top of the dirt to prevent water leaks.
Because providing slope to a roof is not easy, low-slope roof systems gained popularity. By 1920, new petroleum-based materials were introduced into the market. These materials were imported and expensive, and in the 1940s, Mexican waterproofing materials were starting to be manufactured. By 1959, Mexico saw the first kettle manufactured with Mexican parts and the built-up roof system. APP- and SBS-polymer-modified asphalt waterproofing sheet membranes followed during the late 1980s. But even though polymer-modified bitumen was state-of-the-art technology in other countries, in Mexico it was difficult to find someone who wanted it installed; people were used to seeing roofing contractors with trucks and kettles.
Now, more materials are being introduced to the Mexican roofing market, such as single-ply membranes, asphalt shingles, metal shingles, foam adhesives and green roof system components. More specifiers, architects and engineers are becoming aware of the technology and material options professional roofing contractors have to offer before they make a recommendation.
What's happening now
Currently in Mexico, 80 percent of roof assemblies—commercial and residential—have poured-in-place concrete decks. The remaining 20 percent of roof systems can be identified as industrial roofs, and the common material for these is sheet metal or architectural sheet metal.
The Mexican roofing market is moving away from ancient mixtures. APP- and SBS-polymer-modified bitumen roof membrane sheets are gaining territory among residential contractors and some commercial contractors as opposed to liquid-applied materials. Because Mexican decks typically are concrete, membranes are torch-applied.
Single-ply materials also are starting to become part of the Mexican roofing industry market, especially in those industrial cities where maquilas (industrial business parks) and large projects are being built and planned to be developed in the near future. Mexican manufacturers have seen the benefit of this market and started to import single-ply materials, typically TPO and PVC, in larger amounts than EPDM.
In addition, insulation is being used more frequently. Architects, engineers, specifiers and roofing contractors are realizing that adding insulation to their projects is not a matter of luxury anymore—it is becoming a necessity. The most commonly used insulation products installed in Mexico are polyisocyanurate, extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, spray polyurethane foam and fiberglass.
Sheet-metal and architectural sheet-metal manufacturers also are in the game, and new reflective coatings are entering the market, as well.
On the manufacturing side, several joint ventures have been made between Mexican companies and companies from other parts of the world. Some partnerships include Protexa, S.A. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico, and Texsa España, Barcelona; Grupo Thermotek, Monterrey, and Asfaltos Chova, S.A., Valencia, Spain; PASA, Mexico City, and Carlisle SynTec Inc., Carlisle, Pa.; Vitro Fibras, S.A., Monterrey, and Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio; GlassFiber del Norte, Monterrey, and Atlas Roofing Corp., Atlanta, Johns Manville Roofing Systems, Denver, and Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich.; Industrias Monterrey, S.A. de C.V., Monterrey, and ITW Buildex, Itasca, Ill.; Productos de Consumo Resisol, S.A. de C.V., Mexico City, and Henkel, Düsseldorf, Germany; and Material Constructor, S.A. de C.V., Chihuahua, Mexico, and Firestone Building Products Co., Indianapolis.
Roofing industry issues
Despite the positive outlook for the roofing industry in Mexico, the country is not immune to competition, poor material quality, material shortage and price increases. Mexican manufacturers, distributors and roofing contractors particularly are concerned with the shortage of some materials, such as steel, concrete and polyisocyanurate insulation.
Another important issue is competition. Labor prices are so low, professional roofing contractors can't compete; homeowners and building owners are being convinced it is better to buy cheap service than a quality roof system. This directly is related to the Mexican roofing industry's lack of professionalism, constant training and business ethics.
The future
Energy-efficiency programs, sustainable building and green roofs are some of the hot topics in Mexico. Government agencies have become more conscious and aware of the energy challenges the country might encounter and have developed various standards and guidelines.
Despite these efforts, some private organizations, companies and consumers believe these standards aren't enough and new regulations should be created. Roofing contractors and manufacturers are working together to get more involved and approaching local government agencies to participate in standards development. This means that at least for the next few years, Mexico's energy-efficiency programs will be at their peak.
In addition, urban planners are developing projects with professional roofing contractors. Architects, engineers and general contractors also are interested in new trends, materials and technologies.
Mexico remains in continuous growth. Assisting and strengthening the roofing market will benefit communities, the government and companies, as well as make Mexico more attractive for investors.
Guillermo González is general manager of NRCA's Mexico office.
NRCA and Mexico
NRCA's Mexico office opened May 24, 2001, in Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Its objective is to provide NRCA members in Mexico more opportunities, such as technical assistance, educational programs, guided study tours and business. Currently, there are about 80 NRCA members in Mexico, including manufacturers, roofing contractors and distributors.
In October 2006, NRCA had a booth at the largest trade show in Mexico, Expo CIHAC, in Mexico City. The show featured trades within the construction business and about 600 exhibitors from throughout the world.
In addition, NRCA recently launched a Spanish section of its Web site, www.nrca.net/espanol. The site contains the following sections for Spanish-speaking users: About NRCA, International Resources, Members Only, Consumer Information and The Industry. Additionally, it offers an online membership application and membership directory. More information and features will be added in the future.
Mexico at a glance
States/location—Region
Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa—Northwest and Peninsula
Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas—North Central
Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas—Northeast
Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán—West
Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro—Central
Estado de México, Distrito Federal, Morelos—Metropolitan
Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala—East Central
Veracruz, Tabasco—East Gulf
Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas—South
Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatan—Southeast
Mexico can be divided into 10 regions: Northwest and Peninsula, North Central, Northeast, West, Central, Metropolitan, East Central, East Gulf, South and Southeast. In each region, construction materials and methods vary, partly as a result of weather and environmental conditions.
Concrete and steel always will be used as basic parts of Mexico's construction system. For example, if a home were to be built in Chihuahua (North Central region), the construction (roof system included) would have to be able to resist freezing temperatures in winter and excessive heat waves during summer. If the same house were built in Yucatan (Southeast region), hurricanes or tropical storms would have to be taken into consideration.
Some of the most commonly used construction materials are clay bricks, clay blocks, clay and dirt blocks, sand blocks (crushed gravel), wood, steel, concrete and tile (concrete, clay, plastic).
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