Indexes for nonmetallic building materials show increases
The costs of basically nonmetallic building materials all increased during 2002-04.
The accompanying table shows how Nelson-Farrar indexes have changed for selected basically nonmetallic building materials.
Data are included for the overall nonmetallic group, five nonmetallic materials, and iron castings.
Iron castings and fireclay brick indexes showed the greatest changes during the period.
Fireclay brick increased to 1,378.7 in the fourth quarter of 2004 from 1,294.3 in the third quarter of 2002. Iron castings, showing the greatest gains of the two, rose to 1,240.7 in the fourth quarter of the period tested from 1,130.6 in the second quarter.
Building brick, concrete ingredients, and concrete products showed more moderate increases, although none of the changes in the indexes were drastic. The building brick index rose to 1,229.7 from 1,183.6 during the 3-year period. Concrete products changed to 786.1 from 720.7. During the same period, concrete ingredients increased to 924.5 from 856.2.
The smallest index change occurred in the clay products category, which increased to 850.8 in the third quarter of 2004 from 820.0 in the first quarter of 2002.
Click here to view Itemized Refining Cost Indexes in pdf.
The final category, the overall nonmetallic index, increased to a high of 843.0 during the fourth quarter of 2004 from 784.7.
