flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Reed Expansion Index predicts widespread economic improvement for the year

Reed Expansion Index predicts widespread economic improvement for the year

Index shows expanding construction potential in 41 states plus the District of Columbia. 


By Reed Construction Data | January 24, 2014
Multiple factors are driving a positive prediction for commercial construction in 2014. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Reed Construction Data announced its December Expansion Index stood at 1.48, indicating overall construction in the United States is expected to grow over the next 12 months.

“The positive signs of growth are encouraging and align with other economic data,” said Bernard Markstein, U.S. Chief Economist, Reed Construction Data. “With an Expansion Index greater than 1 in 41 states plus the District of Columbia, the expected improvement in construction appears widespread across the country.” The top five states expected to see an expanding construction market: North Dakota, Rhode Island, Montana, Virginia, Utah.

The Expansion Index is a monthly measure of expectations for the construction marketplace over the upcoming 12-18 months, based on the value of projects in the planning pipeline. A reading greater than 1 indicates construction volume is expected to expand.

In addition to an overall measure of U.S. construction, Reed uses the Expansion Index to track expected construction volume for every state and more than 360 Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

According to Markstein, multiple factors are supporting the positive signal.

“Many pieces are falling into place for a moderately faster-growing economy,” stated Markstein. “Companies are experiencing rising demand. A federal budget deal was signed into law. Residential construction continues to improve. Europe is slowly working its way out of recession. These and other positives mean the Reed Expansion Index is likely to remain well above 1 for several months–an indication that construction activity will rise throughout the year.”

The Expansion Index is a ratio of the value of projects in the planning phase over the value of the projects estimated to be still under construction in a defined geography and/or building segment. The relationship says if more in the pipeline than underway, the volume will increase in the future if that ratio is greater than 1. The data covered includes non-residential and multifamily residential construction.

To view the Expansion Index, visit www.reedconstructiondata.com/market-intelligence/expansion-index.

20 Fastest-growing MSAs
MSA EI rating
Duluth, MN-WI
Durham, NC
El Centro, CA
Evansville, IN-KY
Flagstaff, AZ
Flint, MI
Grand Forks, ND-MN
Greenville, NC
Laredo, TX
Logan, UT-ID
Missoula, MT
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA
Salem, OR
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Clarksville, TN-KY
VA Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
Columbia, MO
Baton Rouge, LA
Greensboro-High Point, NC
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
  >10
      9.56
      7.75
      7.67
      6.91
      6.77

 

About Reed Construction Data

Reed Construction Data is a trusted source for detailed, accurate, and up-to-date information on private and public construction projects across the United States and Canada. Reed’s data collection teams leverage strong industry relationships, innovative technology, and third-party data sources to deliver timely and accurate information on projects, companies, and contacts and daily updates for all types of general and civil construction. For more information, visit www.reedconstructiondata.com.

Related Stories

Sponsored | | Oct 29, 2014

Historic Washington elementary school incorporates modular design

More and more architects and designers are leveraging modern modular building techniques for expansion projects planned on historical sites. SPONSORED CONTENT

| Oct 29, 2014

Diller Scofidio + Renfro selected to design Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs

The museum is slated for an early 2018 completion, and will include a hall of fame, theater, retail space, and a 20,000-sf hall that will showcase the history of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Smart Buildings | Oct 29, 2014

SCAPE’s 'living breakwaters' resiliency development wins 2014 Buckminster Fuller Challenge

New York-based landscape architecture firm SCAPE won the Buckminster Fuller Institute’s 2014 Fuller Challenge, billed as socially responsible design’s highest award.

| Oct 28, 2014

4 keys to mastering 'design thinking' and the iteration process

When using design thinking and iteration, we’ll sometimes spend multiple days iterating idea after idea, heads down, only to realize we still don’t have it right, writes HDR's Amy Lussetto. She offers tips for success with these idea-nurturing tools.

| Oct 28, 2014

Miami accepts more modest plan to renovate its convention center

The city of Miami has awarded an $11 million contract for its on-again, off-again convention center renovation to Denver-based Fentress Architects, which will serve as the design criteria professional on this project.

| Oct 28, 2014

Kean University creates Michael Graves School of Architecture

Winner of the AIA Gold Medal, the National Medal of the Arts, the Topaz Medallion and the Driehaus Prize for Architecture, Graves is best known for his contemporary building designs and prominent public commissions.

| Oct 27, 2014

Davis, Calif., latest city to join race to develop 'innovation hubs'

The city plans to develop two "innovation centers" with a total of seven million sf of commercial space geared for local research and technology companies.

| Oct 27, 2014

Report estimates 1.2 million people experience LEED-certified retail centers daily

The "LEED In Motion: Retail" report includes USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.

| Oct 27, 2014

Top 10 green building products for 2015

Among the breakthrough products to make BuildingGreen's annual Top-10 Green Building Products list are halogen-free polyiso insulation and a high-flow-rate biofiltration system.

| Oct 27, 2014

Studio Gang Architects designs residential tower with exoskeleton-like exterior for Miami

Jeanne Gang's design reinvents the Florida room with shaded, asymmetrical balconies.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Government Buildings

One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources

Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021