A world of concrete

In just three years, China unleashed a wave of concrete construction that eclipsed what took the United States a full century to build — a material manifestation of its rapid rise as an industrial superpower.

Takeaways:

1. The Hoover Dam, once a symbol of industrial might, is barely a blip compared to modern infrastructure trends.
2. In just 25 years of the 21st century, the U.S. has used over half as much concrete as it did in the entire 20th — but still lags far behind China’s peak output.

The figures come from USGS cement production data, converted from gigatons to cubic meters using concrete density, then visualized as solid cylinders with a 600-meter base — roughly the width of a city block. This standard scale lets wildly different time periods and nations be compared side-by-side, revealing the sheer absurdity of China’s pace. The Hoover Dam, shown to scale, emphasizes just how much global expectations for infrastructure have shifted.

Related Facts:

• 🧱 Cement is the second most consumed material on Earth after water, with over 4 billion tons used globally each year.
• 🌆 China has over 100 cities with populations exceeding 1 million, driving demand for concrete at a scale the world has never seen.
• 🧊 Concrete production accounts for about 8% of global CO₂ emissions, making these statistics not just a feat of scale — but also an environmental red flag.