Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed construction cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Toronto had a whopping 238 cranes in place in the first quarter. Seattle had 51 cranes to lead all U.S. cities, followed by Los Angeles (47), Denver (36), and Washington, D.C. (26).
The RLB survey reports a nominal increase of 7.04% (34 cranes) from the Q3 2022 edition of the RLB Crane Index. Of the 14 cities surveyed, eight experienced
an increase in cranes, two decreased, and four held steady.
The three top sectors across all cities are residential (51%), mixed use (22%), and commercial (12%).
"Despite continued workforce challenges and economic uncertainties are still concerns for the coming year, we are continuing to see new projects break ground within our 14-key markets. This indicates that investments are continuing to be made into our cities," said the report's authors.
"Notwithstanding concerns for the housing market, residential and mixed-use projects make up 73% of the overall count. We anticipate the number of cranes to remain high into 2023. Despite uncertain market conditions, construction projects will continue to break ground, albeit at a cost," the added.
About the RLB Crane Index
Rider Levett Bucknall’s Crane Index for North America is published biannually. It tracks the number of operating tower cranes in 14 major cities across the U.S. and Canada. The index was the first of its kind, and unlike other industry barometers that track cost and other financial data, the Crane Index tracks the number of fixed cranes on construction sites and gives a simplified measure of the current state of the construction industry’s workload in each location.
Related Stories
Industry Research | Jan 31, 2024
ASID identifies 11 design trends coming in 2024
The Trends Outlook Report by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the first of a three-part outlook series on interior design. This design trends report demonstrates the importance of connection and authenticity.
Apartments | Jan 26, 2024
New apartment supply: Top 5 metros delivering in 2024
Nationally, the total new apartment supply amounts to around 1.4 million units—well exceeding the apartment development historical average of 980,000 units.
Self-Storage Facilities | Jan 25, 2024
One-quarter of self-storage renters are Millennials
Interest in self-storage has increased in over 75% of the top metros according to the latest StorageCafe survey of self-storage preferences. Today, Millennials make up 25% of all self-storage renters.
Industry Research | Jan 23, 2024
Leading economists forecast 4% growth in construction spending for nonresidential buildings in 2024
Spending on nonresidential buildings will see a modest 4% increase in 2024, after increasing by more than 20% last year according to The American Institute of Architects’ latest Consensus Construction Forecast. The pace will slow to just over 1% growth in 2025, a marked difference from the strong performance in 2023.
Construction Costs | Jan 22, 2024
Construction material prices continue to normalize despite ongoing challenges
Gordian’s most recent Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report for Q4 2023 describes an industry still attempting to recover from the impact of COVID. This was complicated by inflation, weather, and geopolitical factors that resulted in widespread pricing adjustments throughout the construction materials industries.
Hotel Facilities | Jan 22, 2024
U.S. hotel construction is booming, with a record-high 5,964 projects in the pipeline
The hotel construction pipeline hit record project counts at Q4, with the addition of 260 projects and 21,287 rooms over last quarter, according to Lodging Econometrics.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 15, 2024
Multifamily rent growth rate unchanged at 0.3%
The National Multifamily Report by Yardi Matrix highlights the highs and lows of the multifamily market in 2023. Despite strong demand, rent growth remained unchanged at 0.3 percent.
Self-Storage Facilities | Jan 5, 2024
The state of self-storage in early 2024
As the housing market cools down, storage facilities suffer from lower occupancy and falling rates, according to the December 2023 Yardi Matrix National Self Storage Report.
Designers | Dec 25, 2023
Redefining the workplace is a central theme in Gensler’s latest Design Report
The firm identifies eight mega trends that mostly stress human connections.
Contractors | Dec 12, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has 8.5 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of November 2023
Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator inched up to 8.5 months in November from 8.4 months in October, according to an ABC member survey conducted Nov. 20 to Dec. 4. The reading is down 0.7 months from November 2022.
