Australia’s Construction Barometer Now Just a Click Away

When Rider Levett Bucknall launched the RLB Crane Index in Australia a decade ago, it rapidly became a barometer for Australia’s largest industry and the country’s economic growth.

By tracking the number of construction cranes sighted within each city on a biannual basis, RLB could analyse construction activity in 11 sectors and 12 cities across Australia.

Data was the bedrock of good decisions and the data-driven and rigorously researched RLB Crane Index was valued by Australian politicians and journalists, and talked about in boardrooms and on building sites around the country, RLB director Chris Marais said.

RLB Crane Index reports are now produced to cover the construction markets of New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the Gulf States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Africa.

“With more than a decade’s worth of data behind us, we are taking the Index online to give the industry more granular information and a better historical picture of activity within each Australian market,” Marais said.

Precision boost

The new digital form will enable users to drill down on digital maps of each city and see the physical location (with address and sector) of each crane.

Maps will offer a pictorial representation of the collected data for each city using a pin locator for the approximate location of cranes.

Existing crane activity analytics (data, trends and commentary across cities and sectors) will also be presented online.

Mr Marais says the digital format will “optimise the experience for the Index’s users” and create unique interactive data sets that “can be interrogated in new ways”.

Best decision-making

Users will be able to find the digital RLB Crane Index on the company website www.rlb.com from September 2023.

RLB is the world’s market leading cost consultant and Australia and New Zealand’s foremost quantity surveying firm. 

“With a rich history and a team of exceptional professionals, RLB has been instrumental in bringing to life many of the region’s iconic buildings, precincts and infrastructure projects. Our decision to release a digital RLB Crane Index underscores our commitment to market-leading research and the best decision-making tools,” Marais said.

Main image: Innovative tower cranes used on iconic waterfront site at new Sydney Fish Market. Courtesy: Multiplex

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