An interesting email came down the pike this month from Rider Levett Bucknall, a Phoenix-based construction industry consulting company. The firm announced the launch of its "North American RLB Crane Index." The report measures construction activity in major cities across North America and will predict the health of the U.S. construction industry. And how will they research this report? By looking up. Unlike other industry barometers, RLB's Crane Index tracks the number of fixed cranes on construction sites in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. Additional cities, including Washington, D.C., will be added, the company said. According to the company's first report, the residential market, specifically condominium and apartment developments, are the hottest segments of construction. Commercial, healthcare, hospitality and education sectors have also started to see increases in crane activity, the report said.
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