Lead Rubber Bearings Market

The global lead rubber bearings market size is expected to grow from USD 1.7 billion in 2022 to USD 2.3 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 3.9%, during the forecast period. The rising focus on infrastructure development by various governments, along with increasing number of high-rise buildings across the globe is creating demand for lead rubber bearings.

Attractive Opportunities in the Lead Rubber Bearings Market

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Market Dynamics

Driver: Development of rail and road bridges to enable movement of people in developing countries

The focus of governments across the globe on infrastructure development is the key driver behind the growth of lead rubber bearings. These governments are constantly working toward building roadways and railways connecting the far corners of their boundaries. In many cases, these motorways require to pass through hills and valleys, and thus a need for infrastructures such as bridges, underpasses, and tunnels is presented. These infrastructures are subject to stress from various natural sources such as seismic activity, wind, and water flow. In order to maintain the stability of these valuable structures, they are fitted with lead rubber bearings. These bearings reduce the stress created on the structures by seismic isolation and damping properties. They have large displacement deformation in the horizontal direction and can separate top and bottom structure vibration, safeguarding the structure during instances of an earthquake. With more and more focus being presented on the safety of citizens, the demand for lead rubber bearings, is, therefore, projected to expand during the forecast period.

Restraint: Hardening of lead rubber bearings beyond certain high shear strain due to geometric effect under earthquakes

Lead rubber bearings is one of the most commonly used base isolation systems in the design of new as well as retrofitted highway bridges. These bearings in isolated highway viaducts are subjected to large shear deformations in events such as earthquakes. They experience significant hardening behavior beyond certain shear strain levels due to geometric effect. The adoption of these bearings may create disadvantages due to the increased flexibility introduced at the bearing level. Excessively large deck displacement response in the event of earthquakes can result in a collision between adjacent decks and abutments. On the other hand, the necessary adoption of non-standard expansion joints at the abutment level in continuous bridges may lead to vibration, noise, and maintenance problems for the bridge. Therefore, this incapability to sustain high shear strain is restraining the growth of the lead rubber bearings market

Opportunity: Setup of new nuclear power plants

To improve the seismic performance of nuclear power plants, it is found important to apply seismic isolation systems. These systems work to provide separation between the plant structures and the ground to reduce loads from earthquakes. Amongst the largely employed systems, lead rubber bearing systems, consisting of thin layers of alternating rubber and steel plates with a lead core, can withstand large vertical loading while maintaining appropriate lateral stiffness. These bearings provide great energy absorption capacity during seismic movements and hence is a promising isolation device to be applied in nuclear power plants. With the focus on generating energy from nuclear sources gaining traction, the setup of new nuclear power plants is on the horizon, which will create excellent growth opportunities for the companies operating in the market.

Challenges: Health concerns created by exposure to lead.

Lead rubber bearings consist of a core made out of the lead. Lead is categorized as a naturally occurring toxic metal. Its exposure has created significant health problems in many parts of the world. Lead exposure can have fatal consequences, especially in children. At high levels of lead exposure, the breakdown of the brain and nervous system can happen, leading to coma and even death. At a lower level, lead exposure can cause anemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity, and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioral effects of lead are irreversible. Hence, these health effects of lead exposure remain a challenge for companies operating in this market to tackle.

Focus on roadway development resulting in roadway bridges holding the largest market share

Based on the application, the roadway bridges segment is estimated to hold the largest share in the market. Governments of developing countries have focused on the development of roadways for ensuring smooth transport of men and materials alike within and outside the country’s borders. These roadways require access to bridges over spots such as rivers, valleys, crossings, and railway tracks. Owing to this factor, the demand for lead rubber bearings, that can sustain the strain created by the movement of vehicles as well as the seismic movements, is gaining traction, leading to the growth of the market. On the other hand, the construction of high-rise commercial buildings is trending to accommodate a large amount of the working population, resulting in the commercial buildings segment gaining market share during the forecast period.

Concentration of PV module manufacturing in Asia Pacific resulting in the region’s dominance in lead rubber bearings market

Asia Pacific is the largest and the fastest-growing lead rubber bearings market, in terms of volume, owing to huge attention given by governments of China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea on infrastructure development. These countries are swiftly expanding their roadways and railways in order to reach the farthest corners of their boundaries, along with efforts on improving the safety of these motorways. Furthermore, the concentration of high-rise commercial as well as residential buildings is getting dense in these countries, leading to increased demand for base isolation systems such as lead rubber bearings that can safeguard these buildings in events such as earthquakes. These factors are expected to fuel the demand for lead rubber bearings in the region during the forecast period.

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Key Market Players

The major vendors in the lead rubber bearings market include Donshin Rubber Products (M) SDN BHD (Malaysia), Hebei Zaoqiang Dacheng Rubber Co., Ltd. (China), Mageba (Switzerland), Hengshui Jingtong Rubber Co., Ltd. (China), LLG Bearings (China), Oiles Corporation (Japan), Bridgestone Corporation (Japan), Aurotek Corporation (Taiwan), Zhuzhou Times New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Dae Kyoung Industrial Co., Ltd. (South Korea), and Daechang Corp. (South Korea).

The key companies are undertaking supply collaborations and acquisition strategies to improve their share in this market. Companies including Canam Group, Inc., Mageba, and Hebei Zaoqiang Dacheng Rubber Co., Ltd.  have adopted various strategies, including agreements, and acquisitions between 2018 and 2022.

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Scope of the Report

This research report categorizes the microcapsule market based on application and region.

Based on application, the lead rubber bearings market has been segmented as follows:

• Road Bridges
• Rail Bridges
• Nuclear Power Plants
• Commercial Buildings
  • Data Storage Centers
  • Utilities
  • Hospitals
  • Others
• Residential Buildings
• Others

Based on regions, the lead rubber bearings market has been segmented as follows:

• Asia Pacific
• North America
• Europe
• Middle East & Africa
• South America

Recent Developments

• In April 2021, Canam Group Inc. announced the acquisition of Supermetal, a manufacturer, supplier, and installer of structural steel components in commercial, industrial, and civil construction projects throughout North America, to enhance its production capacity and widen product offerings.
• In December 2019, the 8.1 km long Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Bridge became the first bridge in the Philippines to be designed to withstand an earthquake of up to 7.8 Richter-scale magnitudes. The bridge was equipped with seismic isolation lead rubber bearings underneath the foundation, that help protect the structure in case of quakes.

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