RLB’s Crane Index for North America shows slight decrease

Rider Levett Bucknall’s Crane Index for North America is published biannually and tracks the number of operating tower cranes in 14 major cities across the U.S. and Canada. In Q3 2024, the construction landscape held steady across North America, as the rate of decrease competes with the rate of cranes breaking ground, according to RLB. The majority of tower cranes continue to be stationed at residential and mixed-use projects, making up 69 percent of the overall count.

RLB Crane Index Third Quarter 2024 Source: Rider Levett Bucknall

This survey reports a slight decrease of 5 percent (15 cranes) from the Q1 2024 edition of the RLB Crane Index. Of the 14 cities surveyed, four experienced a decrease of greater than 20 percent; seven increased; and three held steady, RLB said. 

“The mixed-use sector continues to dominate crane activity, reflecting strong demand for diverse developments,” the Index said. “Major projects in sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure are driving significant investment and construction efforts.”

Despite challenges of high office vacancy rates in certain areas, the overall construction activity remains robust, indicating a dynamic and evolving urban development, RLB said. 

“Our 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,” according to the report. “Calgary, Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Toronto, and Washington D.C. have seen an increase in crane counts. Denver, Los Angeles, and New York City are holding steady in their crane counts. Cities with a decrease include Boston, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle.

To view the entire RLB Crane Index, see: https://s31756.pcdn.co/americas/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/10/Q3-2024-Crane-Index.pdf.