The most recent Crane Index by Rider Levett Bucknall reports the fourth consecutive 6-month period with an increase in the number of operating tower cranes in 13 major cities in the United States and Canada.
RLB expects this trend to continue throughout the year and sees it as a gauge of the growth of the overall construction industry. RLB provides cost management and quantity surveying, project management and advisory services. The cities in the index are those the firm has offices in.
Seattle, Los Angeles and Toronto report the most cranes in the index and make up over half of the total count. Most cranes, 67 percent, are deployed for mixed-use and residential construction projects.
Highlights of the report:
- Five of the 13 cities reported an increase in cranes from January to June: Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Toronto and Calgary.
- Five reported a decrease: Seattle, New York City, San Francisco, Phoenix and Honolulu.
- Those reporting no change: Boston, Portland and Washington, D.C.
- 41 percent of the cranes in New York City are for commercial projects, including a new JP Morgan Chase headquarters and the redevelopment of the Hyatt at Grand Central Station.
- The number of cranes in Los Angeles increased by 11 percent, including for such projects as the new L.A. Rams stadium and the George Lucas Star Wars Museum. Hollywood is also seeing a boost in hotel construction.