MF, Mixed-Use Dominate Crane Counts

Residential drives construction in nearly every one of RLB’s index cities, Anderson says.

PHOENIX—Residential high-rises continue to dominate North America’s construction market, although mixed-use projects also figure prominently in the mix, consulting firm Rider Leavitt Bucknall said Monday. The third edition of RLB’s North American Crane Index predicts that construction activity will continue to grow this year.

“In nearly every city in our Index, residential developments continue to drive construction across North America at about 50% of total activity,” says Julian Anderson, president of Rider Leavitt Bucknall North America. “Mixed-use projects account for nearly 30% of the overall activity and commercial projects for about 15%. Major projects across the US and Canada—from new starts to projects on the boards—indicate that construction activity is steady and shows no signs of slowing down in 2016.”