Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Size, Share & Trends, 2033

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Overview

The Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market size was valued at USD 8.34 million in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 13.31 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.02% from 2025 to 2033.

The Construction Materials Testing (CMT) market is an essential segment of the construction ecosystem, focusing on verifying the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of materials such as concrete, soil, aggregate, asphalt and steel. In 2025, the market is estimated at USD 8.34 billion. Testing volume for aggregates alone exceeded 1.5 billion tonnes in the U.S. in 2023, with crushed stone valued at over USD 24 billion and sand/gravel at USD 11 billion. Globally, residential construction reached USD 5.267 trillion in 2022, fueling a proportional rise in testing demand. In 2024, concrete testing equipment accounted for 37.4% of the $2.73 billion equipment market.

North America held 26.9% of the equipment market in 2024, with USD 736.6 million in testing equipment purchases. Asia‑Pacific led globally with 55.1% share of equipment sales in 2024. The CMT sector spans on‑site testing, lab analysis and IoT‑enabled remote reporting; in 2024, Forney LP introduced connected CMT machines that doubled test throughput via barcode‑based sample ID. With material volumes and infrastructure projects rising annually, the CMT market now spans USD 8–9 billion globally, growing service and equipment demand. Every segment—from soil to steel—shows robust numerical increases tied to a $12.74 trillion global construction market.

Key Findings

Driver: Expansion in global infrastructure and residential construction, with USD 5.267 trillion residential build in 2022.

Top Country/Region: Asia‑Pacific leads with 55.1% share of testing equipment sales in 2024.

Top Segment: Concrete testing equipment dominates, accounting for 37.4% share in 2024.

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Trends

In recent years, the CMT market has surged alongside a growing global construction sector valued at USD 8.9 trillion in 2023. The testing equipment segment was worth USD 3.27 billion in 2024 and forecast to reach USD 3.47 billion in 2025. Connected testing systems have become a dominant trend: Forney LP’s 2024 launch halved specimen identification errors and accelerated test cycles by scanning barcodes, using Smart Checks and integrating ForneyVault analytics. This IoT‑based shift sees remote reporting on calibration and results in real time, cutting manual logs by over 50%. Automation and portability are gaining traction; portable rebound hammers and handheld concrete meters saw a 22% volume increase in 2023 across major labs. In Asia‑Pacific, representing 55.1% of equipment sales in 2024, volume of usage increased by 7.4% in China and 7.8% in India. North America followed, with USD 736.6 million spent in 2024, 26.9% global share and a rising trend in automatic machines. European markets leaned into automation, with Germany showing a 3.8% annual growth in testing equipment purchases in 2024.

Sustainable testing practices have led labs to cut conventional grout and cement sample retests by up to 30%, reducing material waste. Non‑destructive testing (NDT) platforms increased usage volume by 15% in 2024 compared to 2023. Quality control protocols have mandated at least 100 test cycles per highway bridge project, including soil shear, carbonation, and compressive resistance. Concrete compression testers — 37.4% of total equipment market in 2024 — registered 500,000+ units sold globally by mid‑2025. Aggregate sieve shakers and impact testers grew installations by 12% in North America while asphalt testing devices rose by 8% in Middle East labs amid road expansions. Regulatory compliance also shaped trends: the U.S. issued 2,300 new material code updates in 2024, raising testing frequency by 18%. Europe rolled out 1,100 new amendments in EN‑standards, pushing labs to upgrade older equipment. In 2024, portable concrete air meters were deployed in 250,000 on‑site tests due to smart city construction, covering 1,000 projects in Asia‑Pacific alone. Lastly, digital data witnessing: cloud‑based testing platform subscriptions doubled from 40,000 to 80,000 users between 2023 and 2024 globally — with the largest adoption in infrastructure testing labs processing 10,000+ samples monthly. Every figure in these trends underscores a rapid, technology‑driven ascent of the CMT market.

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Dynamics

DRIVERS

Infrastructure‑led Expansion

The main driver is global infrastructure and housing expansion. In 2022, the residential construction market hit USD 5.267 trillion, with aggregate volumes over 1.5 billion tonnes in the U.S. alone. Public works — including 10,000 bridge and highway projects across 60 countries in 2024 — required 100+ testing cycles each, propelling equipment and service demand. Between 2023 and 2025, new project starts increased by 14%, triggering proportional growth in testing operations. Soil compaction testers saw unit uptakes surge by 18%, while concrete slump meters registered 25% volume increases in major regions. Testing services revenue rose 22% in Middle East labs during 2024 due to mega‑project starters. These numbers underscore how scale of construction activity underpins CMT growth.

RESTRAINTS

Rising Equipment and Compliance Costs

The main restraint is the soaring cost of advanced testing equipment and compliance demands. In 2024, universal testing machines started at USD 35,000/unit, while advanced NDT scanners exceeded USD 90,000. Between 2022 and 2024, price indices for core testing gear rose by 11%. New ISO and ASTM certifications cost labs USD 25,000–40,000 annually, burdening small regional players. In Europe, equipment licensing delays added 6–12 months of cost and market entry lag. Aggregate testing labs in Brazil reported 14% margin compression due to import duties. As a result, smaller labs deferred equipment upgrades, resonating a 9% dip in new purchases across Latin America and Africa in 2024. Combined, capital cost inflation and compliance navigate as significant inhibitors.

OPPORTUNITIES

Digital & Sustainable Testing

The main opportunity is digitalization and green testing. Cloud‑based platforms doubled users from 40,000 to 80,000 in 2024. ForneyVault reduced testing lead time by 30%. Adoption of IoT-enabled meters rose 46% in Europe labs in 2024. Automated equipment cut labor by 28%, saving USD 1.2 million annually per high-volume lab. Meanwhile, sustainable sample protocols reduced waste by 30%, cutting material usage by 8,000 tonnes globally. Governments offered grants: the EU allocated EUR 120 million in 2024 for smart‑testing tech, and India provided USD 45 million in subsidies to retrofit 250 labs in 2023. Use of low-carbon testing methods doubled lab count to 410 in 2024. These numerical gains illustrate clear avenues for growth through tech adoption and sustainability.

CHALLENGES

Skill Gaps and Data Integration

The main challenge is skill shortages and fragmented data systems. In 2024, 42% of labs globally faced staffing deficits in certified technicians. Asia‑Pacific reported a 35% vacancy rate. North America labs averaged 3 open technician roles for every 10 staff. This led to sample backlog increases of 18%, delaying project timelines by 2–4 weeks. Lab software fragmentation meant 60% of test data remained in unconnected spreadsheets — costing USD 250 per delayed report. In Europe, interoperability issues delayed 28% of IoT rollouts. Additionally, lack of training led to 5% of test redos in lab audits. These numeric challenges underscore the need for workforce development and integrated digital infrastructure in the CMT sector.

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Segmentation

The CMT market is divided by Type and by Application.

By Type

Soil Testing: Includes equipment like Proctors compaction testers and triaxial shear units. In 2024, over 200,000 soil samples were tested weekly across 3,400 U.S. sites. Soil shear equipment saw volume growth of 12% across Asia‑Pacific labs in 2023–24.
Concrete Testing: Encompasses compression machines, slump apparatus, air meters. Compression testers constituted 37.4% of equipment market worth USD 2.73 billion, with 500,000 units sold globally by mid‑2025.
Aggregate Testing: Uses sieve shakers, impact testers. Aggregate testing frequency grew by 12% in North America labs in 2024.
Asphalt Testing: Consists of bitumen testers, abrasion machines; asphalt device sales grew 8% across Middle East labs in 2024.
Steel Testing: Employs rebound testers and penetrometers; North American labs processed 150,000 steel test cycles in major infrastructure projects in 2024.

By Application

Residential & Commercial Construction: On‑site testing frequency averaged 75 tests per high‑rise structure; concrete slump passes measured every 100 m³ pour.
Infrastructure Projects: Highway bridges required 100+ aggregate, steel and soil tests each; 10,000 road projects in 2024 led to 1 million+ test cycles globally.
Quality Control: Lab-based cycles averaged 2,500/month in advanced labs; automated compression tests cut cycles by 22%.
Structural Engineering: NDT steel scans reached 250,000 units in 2024, while concrete core compression cycles numbered 300,000 across major metro rail projects.

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market Regional Outlook

The global Construction Materials Testing (CMT) market shows varied performance across regions, driven by infrastructure investment, urbanization, and regulatory frameworks. North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and Middle East & Africa each exhibit different material testing growth numbers and equipment/service uptake tied to local construction activity and standards enforcement.

North America

CMT equipment market reached USD 736.6 million in 2024, representing 26.9 % of global testing equipment spend. U.S. usage accounted for USD 585.19 million and Canada USD 89.00 million. Manual vs. automatic equipment investments showed automatic segment dominating in purchases. Aggregate testing equipment volumes rose by 12 % in 2024, with on‑site portable devices up by 9 %. North American lab services reached USD 8.2 billion in 2024. Over 3,400 U.S. soil‑sample sites tested 200,000+ weekly. Regulatory actions by city and state agencies added over 2,300 updates in material codes during the same period.

Europe

home to key TIC players and standards-heavy enforcement, accounted for 35.7 % of global TIC revenue in 2021. In 2024, Europe posted over 1,100 amendments to EN‑standards, boosting lab upgrade cycles. Germany alone grew equipment purchases by 3.8 %, with steel and concrete testing volumes up by 6 % in 2024. Portable testing tools saw 46 % adoption growth among European labs. Construction material testing services contributed USD 60 billion across testing and USD 80 billion in inspection in 2023. U.K. labs processed 300,000+ structural engineering tests in 2024, including NDT steel scans and compressive resistance sampling.

Asia‑Pacific

held 55.1 % of gear sales in 2024. China increased testing volumes by 7.4 %, India by 7.8 % between 2023–24. Portable concrete meters were deployed in 250,000+ tests across 1,000 urban projects in 2024. Aggregate testing unit volumes climbed 15 % year‑on‑year. Asphalt testing devices rose by 8 % in Middle East labs supporting Asia‑linked trade corridors. Asia APCMT equipment purchases totalled approximately USD 2.5 billion in 2024, while lab services across APAC reached around USD 4.1 billion.

Middle East & Africa

saw a 9 % decline in new equipment purchases in Africa in 2024, offset by 8 % growth in asphalt and aggregate testing in the Gulf labs. Mega‑infra projects in UAE, Saudi and Egypt triggered a 22 % rise in lab service demand, with about 750,000 samples processed region‑wide. Asphalt testers saw 8 % unit volume increase; concrete and steel labs processed an estimated 120,000 cycle tests. Gulf governments funded testing lab upgrades in 45 facilities via USD 210 million programs in 2023. Africa saw soil testing lab counts decline by 6 %, while asphalt test devices rose by 5 %.

List of Top Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Companies

Bureau Veritas (France)
Intertek Group plc (UK)
SGS S.A. (Switzerland)
Element Materials Technology (UK)
MISTRAS Group (USA)
Applus+ (Spain)
TUV SUD (Germany)
UL LLC (USA)
DEKRA (Germany)
ASTM International (USA)

Bureau Veritas (France): Europe's top TIC firm with approximately 35 % share of TIC revenue and dominant in buildings, infrastructure, and marine testing. In 2024, Bureau Veritas pursued a €31 billion merger with SGS.

SGS S.A. (Switzerland): Holds leading global share among TIC players with major strengths in environment, health, natural resources, and materials testing. Market share ranges between 10–15 % of global TIC. In 2024, involved in merger talks worth over €33 billion.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

The Construction Materials Testing (CMT) market is experiencing a sharp rise in investment activity, driven by increased global infrastructure spending, urbanization, and the implementation of smart city frameworks. Between 2023 and 2025, over 190 new laboratories have been established worldwide, specifically geared toward soil, concrete, steel, and asphalt testing, highlighting growing investor interest in regional material compliance hubs. Strategic investments have concentrated in countries like India, China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, where infrastructure pipelines exceed $5 trillion cumulatively. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have played a significant role in expanding testing capacity, with 42% of new CMT centers in Asia-Pacific funded through hybrid investment models. Funding allocation to mobile construction material testing vans increased by 31% from 2022 to 2024, enabling on-site testing for highways, metro tunnels, airports, and hydropower projects. In the United States, 19 state departments of transportation have increased their budget allocations to integrate non-destructive testing (NDT) tools into highway and bridge inspection programs, creating opportunities for suppliers of ultrasonic pulse velocity meters, rebound hammers, and ground-penetrating radar systems. Investment in automation technologies for CMT laboratories grew by 24% globally in 2024 alone, with Europe and North America leading deployment of robotic testing arms and AI-powered data analytics software.

A shift toward cloud-based lab information management systems (LIMS) has attracted funding from technology investors, particularly in large-scale construction markets like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where over 110 CMT firms have transitioned to digital platforms for reporting and analytics. Additionally, compliance with new ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards has required modernization of more than 480 laboratories across Asia and Europe since 2023, triggering capital investment in calibration equipment, automated sieves, and smart curing tanks. Notably, emerging markets in Africa and Southeast Asia have seen a 65% increase in FDI-driven construction testing contracts, signaling strong potential for expansion. Venture capital interest has grown around startups offering portable geotechnical testing kits, as demand for affordable, rapid soil quality evaluation intensifies in rural development projects. The adoption of sustainability metrics in construction projects has also created investment opportunities for firms specializing in testing recycled aggregates and low-carbon concrete, with 58 governments globally mandating environmental compliance tests during construction phases. Overall, the CMT market is undergoing a dynamic phase of capital deployment, digital transformation, and geographic diversification, offering substantial opportunities for investors, testing service providers, and equipment manufacturers worldwide.

New Product Development

New product development in the Construction Materials Testing (CMT) market has accelerated between 2023 and 2025, driven by the need for faster, more precise, and field-deployable testing solutions. A notable innovation trend is the rollout of AI-integrated non-destructive testing (NDT) devices, with over 75 new models launched globally in the past two years. These include advanced ultrasonic flaw detectors, surface hardness testers, and integrated infrared thermography tools that offer automated defect detection with over 92% accuracy rates. Manufacturers such as Controls Group, Humboldt, and ELE International have introduced multi-function digital testing consoles that consolidate compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile testing into a single platform, reducing equipment footprint by over 35%. The market has also witnessed the development of wireless sensors for real-time data acquisition in concrete curing processes; by 2025, more than 18,000 active projects globally have adopted these sensors for quality monitoring. Portable soil testing kits, capable of delivering on-site compaction and moisture content results within 90 seconds, have seen deployment in over 42 countries, particularly in remote infrastructure projects. Several startups have pioneered cloud-synced LIMS platforms embedded directly in testing equipment, allowing seamless data transfer to centralized dashboards. In 2024, European firms unveiled battery-powered rebound hammers with Bluetooth integration, enabling instant report generation for on-field engineers.

The steel and asphalt segments have benefited from advancements in digital penetration testers and automatic bitumen extraction systems, improving repeatability and reducing human error margins by 28%. In the geotechnical domain, rotary shear apparatuses capable of simulating earthquake loads at 5 Hz frequency were introduced in Japan and Italy, targeting earthquake-resistant infrastructure development. Additionally, eco-composite analysis tools designed to test recycled materials such as fly ash-based concrete and polymer-blended asphalt have been released in over 21 national markets, aligning with low-carbon construction goals. Drone-assisted material sampling systems, piloted in rugged terrains of South America and Africa, reduced sample acquisition time by over 60%, significantly improving testing throughput in megaprojects. Equipment miniaturization is another emerging theme; bench-top universal testing machines with under 30 kg weight have enabled field labs in high-altitude and offshore construction sites. By mid-2025, more than 100 new patents had been filed globally for CMT innovations, with the majority centered around automation, wireless integration, and material sustainability. These developments reflect a strategic shift in the industry toward speed, precision, and environmentally-aligned testing technologies.

Five Recent Developments

Forney LP launched IoT barcoded compression testers in Q1 2024; over 10,000 specimens scanned weekly across 120 labs; error rate halved.
Handheld air meters deployed in 250,000+ on‑site concrete tests during 2024 Asia smart city projects.
AI asphalt void density pods introduced late 2023; used in 15,000 tests across 85 Gulf highway projects, boosting speed 30 %.
Green soil test kits adopted in 10,000+ rural surveys in India/Africa by end‑2024; lab chemical waste cut 70 %.
Drone‑based NDT scanning systems piloted on 1 km² sites in late 2023; reduced 3‑day manual scans to under 4 hours.

Report Coverage of Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market

The Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Market report provides comprehensive coverage of all critical elements influencing the global industry. It includes detailed analysis of material testing standards, regulatory requirements, and compliance mandates across various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The report examines the full spectrum of testing types—soil testing, concrete testing, asphalt testing, steel testing, and aggregate testing—used across applications like residential and commercial construction, infrastructure development, structural engineering, and quality control. More than 87% of infrastructure projects in Asia-Pacific mandate stringent CMT protocols during the planning and post-construction phases, making this a key growth region. The report covers over 60 regulatory frameworks governing construction material testing globally, with North America alone accounting for over 15 standardized codes used in geotechnical, structural, and materials verification. Testing labs involved in concrete and steel validation account for nearly 42% of the total demand for CMT services worldwide. The CMT market report provides granular insights into laboratory and field testing procedures, calibration requirements, and acceptance criteria used in modern civil engineering practices.

It also tracks demand for CMT across 2,800+ infrastructure projects globally, including airports, dams, expressways, tunnels, bridges, and skyscrapers. Notably, the report outlines the penetration of non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies, which have increased adoption by 29% from 2022 to 2024, especially in structural steel inspections. It maps the integration of AI and automation in laboratory testing, which grew by 22% between 2023 and 2024, improving precision and reporting speed. The report features market share analysis of over 150 leading CMT companies, with a detailed study of the top two—SGS S.A. and Bureau Veritas—which together contribute to over 18% of the global testing volume. The construction materials testing market report covers testing equipment deployment trends, contractor-laboratory partnerships, and the global certification ecosystem. Investment flows in specialized mobile CMT units have increased by 38% since 2022, enabling on-site validation and faster turnaround. The report evaluates emerging opportunities from smart city programs, which account for more than 370 active CMT contracts worldwide as of 2024. Overall, the CMT market report offers a full-view assessment of testing procedures, field operations, laboratory analysis protocols, and market participation—serving stakeholders across construction companies, infrastructure investors, urban planners, and testing laboratories.