US CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET
KEY FINDINGS
- Construction equipment sales in North America fell 16% in 2020 compared to 2019.
- Recently the U.S government approved an infrastructure deal worth $947 Billion over the next five years.
- The INVEST in America Act authorizes $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety measures, $109 billion for transit, $95 billion for passenger and freight rail, $117 billion for drinking water infrastructure resources and roughly $51 billion for wastewater infrastructure, according to the bill.
- The COVID-19 global pandemic has made this year very challenging across most industries. This includes the production of agricultural (AG) machinery, construction equipment and industrial products in North America with declined production in 2020.
- The U.S Department of Commerce recently announced that construction projects put into place and annualized for 2021 amount to more than $1.5 trillion.
- In response to the growing demand, construction equipment market players are launching new equipment integrated with advanced technologies such as IoT and AI.
- As per the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), the construction of parking lots, private highways, driveways, and bridges is estimated at a value of approximately USD 72 billion in 2020.
- The market leader – Caterpillar’s full-year sales and revenues in 2020 were $41.7 billion, down 22% compared with $53.8 billion in 2019.
- Caterpillar Incorporation announced the launch of CAT generator sets that will be capable of operating on 100% hydrogen which includes fully renewable green hydrogen.
- Liebherr announced the launch of its new range of LTM 1400-7.1 heavy lifting cranes.
- Liebherr announced the development of an advanced driver assistance system and on-board analytics solution to assist site operations to achieve higher safety, maintenance and overall efficiency and effectiveness.
- Hitachi Construction Machinery invested in Baraja where the company is set to make use of Baraja’s spectrum scan LiDAR technology to accelerate the development of the autonomous haulage system.
- Caterpillar incorporation announced an agreement with BHP which is the leading resources company to develop zero-emission battery-powered large mining trucks.
INTRODUCTION
The U.S Commerce Department has stated that during the first five months of 2021, construction spending in the U.S. amounted to USD 594.8 billion. The high demand for faster construction of buildings and facilities for the rising population is positively influencing market statistics.
The escalating development of smart cities in the US is one of the major factors driving the increase in the demand for construction equipment. Government initiatives, such as the Smart Cities Project under the U.S. Economic Development Program, are supporting the regional construction equipment market.
The US is a leader in the construction industry due to the increasing investments in the property and expanding infrastructure leading to a surge in construction equipment market revenues. The past few years of data show that commercial and residential construction has been rising and that has been a catalyst in the growth of the construction equipment market.
US CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET SEGMENTATION
By Equipment Type
- Articulated Dump Truck
- Asphalt Finisher
- Backhoe Loader
- Crawler Dozer
- Crawler Excavator
- Crawler Loader
- Mini Excavators
- Motor Grader
- Motor Scraper
- Road Roller
- Rigid Dump Truck
- Skid-Steer Loader
- Wheeled Excavator
- Wheeled Loader
By Application
- Construction
- Oil and Gas
- Mining
- Others
By Power Output
- <100 HP
- 101–200 HP
- 201–400 HP
- >400 HP
POWERTRAIN TRENDS
Component manufacturers are continually developing new products and further enhancing their offerings to provide OEMs with solutions that will best fit their equipment designs and end use customer needs.
A growing global population and increased urbanization will help drive electrification, as well. The construction industry will have a stronger focus on infrastructure and housing projects in urban centers, requiring the use of equipment—particularly compact equipment—which meets standards for reduced exhaust, particulate and noise emissions
- Allison Transmission announced the launch of the Allison FracTran hydraulic fracturing transmission. The purpose-built FracTran provides a power rating of 3,300 hp and 10,000 lb.-ft. of input torque.
- ZF introduced its eTRAC electric drives for wheeled excavators. The newly launched system consists of a 2-speed powershift transmission, electric motor and inverter. It can be scaled up to peak torque 850 Nm and continuous power of 80 kW.
- Kubota Engine America has introduced its first electronically controlled engine below the 19 kW (25.5 hp) power rating, the D902-K.
- Cummins Inc. and Cummins Westport Inc. announced the ISX12N+Endurant HD N powertrain is a fully integrated natural gas powertrain which is now available for heavy-duty vehicles. Combines ISX12N near zero natural gas engine and Endurant HD N 12-speed automated transmission and available with a rating of 400 hp (298.3 kW) and 1,450 lb.-ft. (1,965.9 Nm) torque.
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Machines that are integrated with advanced technology provide robust monitoring and control facilities assisted by proximity sensors and IoT. The technology also enables efficient control over fuel usage.
- In September 2021, Caterpillar Incorporation announced the launch of CAT generator sets that will be capable of operating on 100% hydrogen which includes fully renewable green hydrogen. The sets will be available on a designed-to-order basis from the end of the year 2021.
- In September 2021, Liebherr announced the launch of its new range of LTM 1400-7.1 heavy lifting cranes to be used by the crane and heavy haulage company Forca Diseno & Ingenieria SRL based in the Dominican Republic.
- In September 2021, Liebherr announced the launch of a new 36XXT truck which has a mounted concrete pump and added advantages of new quintuple folding features with Powerbloc drive unit and semi-closed oil circuit.
- In May 2021, Liebherr announced the launch of its new series of T274 haul trucks introducing new 305t/336-ton haul trucks that will bridge the gap between T284 (363t/400 tons) and upgraded T264 (240T/265 tons).
- In September 2020, John Deere announced the launch of the 200G model of its excavator range. The new model is designed to decrease the fuel consumption without compromising on the power output which will lower the operating cost. The machine is ideal for applications such as roadbuilding, earthmoving as well as site development.
- In July 2020, Caterpillar Incorporation launched the new Cat AD63 which is an underground articulated truck that features 5% increase in payload capacity and more torque for enhancement in performance. The model is in accordance with the most stringent diesel emission norms for regulatory compliance and air quality.
The new Noblelift Lithium Iron Phosphate LFP/LiFePO4 electric 60Q and 70Q Series forklifts is designed with an IP4 rating waterproof design for indoor-outdoor applications to contend with traditional IC forklifts while being emissions-free, cost-effective, and designed for energy proficiency.
The John Deere 210G LC and 350G LC Excavators are equipped with the factory-installed and calibrated SmartGrade technology with 2D and 3D grade control options. The SmartGrade system delivers increased productivity and accuracy on the job and provides benefits to contractors at all levels.
Volvo CE Adds Entry-Level Package for Compact Assist Intelligent Compaction System, The Entry-level Compact Assist Start helps customers take the first step into Intelligent Compaction.
In Komatsu’s New D39i-24 Dozer, The 3D Design Data Can Be Programmed Directly, Integrated grade control enables automatic dozing, and proactive dozing control measures terrain the dozer crosses to plan the next pass so even less experienced operators can automatically cut/strip from existing terrain.
CASE Construction Equipment introduced factory-fit machine control on its 750M through 2050M dozers. The new offering includes factory installed and calibrated 2D, dual mast 3D and SiteControl CoPilot precision construction solutions from Leica Geosystems.
US CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
The U.S Construction Equipment market is estimated at $XX Billion in 2021, growing at XX% CAGR till 2026.
GROWTH DRIVERS
- Integration of advanced technologies in construction machinery.
- Increasing investments in infrastructure development.
- Rising demand for equipment rental in the US.
- Rising number of infrastructural and industrial projects in the US.
- Increasing implementation of Li-Fi Technology.
- Growing number of refurbishment activities in the US.
- Growing investments in mining projects in the US.
- Forming exponential and extensive partnerships with companies for strategic establishments
- Government initiatives to provide telecommunication facilities to small towns are driving demand across the telecom sector
US CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET DYNAMICS
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS
Technology has been a disruptor in how machines have become more efficient and reduce the cost and labor adoption. The embarkment of new technology into machines makes it smarter, easy to use, automates the processes and also reduces on-site accidents.
Construction industry’s digital workforce management platforms provide real-time information about people’s skills, certifications, location and more, while also communicating project updates to your entire team, or only to those who need to know. Having one source of truth you can access at your fingertips builds confidence within your organization, makes bidding for future jobs more accurate and gives you extra insight into what makes sense for your business.
Drones, or UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles), are starting to see rapid adoption in the heavy civil construction industry. Innovative companies use construction drone mapping and reporting software to transform how they perform and deliver surveying, planning, and worksite data.
The expansion of the Internet and mobile connectivity in the US has been a major factor promoting the market growth of material handling equipment and cranes. Internet connectivity is a prerequisite for smart homes and IoT applications. The installation and maintenance of telephone lines are driving the adoption of advanced cranes with pre-installed technologies such as telematics.
In August 2021, Caterpillar announced the development of dynamic gas blending engines that can use natural gas and diesel fuel to power an application. The dual-fuel technology will allow engines to automatically maximise the amount of natural gas used in order to displace diesel.
In September 2021, Liebherr announced the development of an advanced driver assistance system and on-board analytics solution to assist site operations to achieve higher safety, maintenance and overall efficiency and effectiveness. The company developed the world’s first fully battery-powered crawler crane LR 1250.1 as well as fully electric truck mixers ETM 1005 and ETM 1205. They also developed a trolley assist system for the T236 diesel-electric mining truck along with VA Erzberg.
Hitachi Construction Machinery signed a memorandum of understanding with ABB to explore opportunities and develop machinery targeted towards net-zero emissions for the construction and mining industry. The company also invested in an Australian startup named Baraja where the company is set to make use of Baraja’s spectrum scan LiDAR technology to accelerate the development of the autonomous haulage system for dump trucks and autonomous operation of ultra-large hydraulic excavators.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
The future of the U.S. construction equipment industry would witness substantial growth owing to growing investments by suppliers & manufacturers in the installation of automated equipment in distribution centers and warehouses.
Major players, like Amazon and eBay, are investing significant amounts in the construction of warehouses for storage of inventory. In 2020, Amazon announced that it plans to construct over 1,000 warehouses and delivery hubs in the suburban areas of the U.S. Due to COVID 19, the regional markets have witnessed considerable growth owing to the emergence of e-commerce companies.
Currently the industry is ready to welcome this investment boom as they have been faced with funding uncertainty for years. Profits for many companies tied to the construction or industrial sector are already projected to gain ground over the next several years as the economy recovers. Any spending measure spread out over years will help secure and boost that growth through contracts for projects and orders for supplies and equipment.
Boosting productivity is still a dominant challenge for the engineering, construction and infrastructure sector and with the amount of construction projects declining, companies are looking to redefine their business models to future proof their organization.
COVID IMPACT ON US CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy across the globe disrupting manufacturing activities due to lockdown and pandemic protocols. The construction industry has also been impacted severely by the pandemic which includes the contractors, manufacturers of equipment, developers as well as supply chain vendors who supply raw materials.
The transportation of raw materials and equipment for construction activities is the primary service on which an infrastructure project depends, due to the lockdown and pandemic protocols transportation slowed down which caused delays in the delivery and further cancellation of construction projects. These reasons have plunged the demand for construction equipment and the manufacture of new technologies and heavy-duty vehicles. The construction contractors who partner with Chinese companies for raw materials and goods faced a whopping increase in the cost of raw materials and goods due to a shortage of construction materials which in turn caused many infrastructure projects to cancel.
The revenue of the companies manufacturing construction equipment also suffered due to low demand. For instance, the Liebherr Group recorded sales worth EUR 10,341 million in the year 2020 which was a 12% decline from the sales of the year 2019. The company Caterpillar recorded sales and revenue worth $41.7 billion in the year 2020 which was a 22% decline from the year 2019 which recorded sales and revenue worth $53.8 billion. However, the department for construction equipment recorded revenue worth $16.9 billion which was due to weaker than estimated demand and sales primarily in North America.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Researchers from Baidu Research Robotics and Auto-Driving Lab (RAL), have introduced an autonomous excavator system (AES) that can perform material loading tasks for a long duration without any human intervention while offering performance closely equivalent to that of an experienced human operator.
Caterpillar is rolling out four models in its Next Gen wheel loader line – the 980, 980 XE, 982 and 982 XE. These 9- to 11-tonne (10- to 12-ton) wheel loader class machines include an expanded technology platform to increase machine performance and improve operating efficiency. The XE models will feature a parallel path continuous variable transmission (CVT) that will increase fuel efficiencies up to 35% compared to the previous 980M and 982M powershift models when comparing tons of material moved per gallon of fuel burned.
Caterpillar Incorporation has announced a collaboration with Rio Tinto, a mining company to develop zero-emission site solutions to help Rio Tinto achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. The agreement is set to develop the company’s CAT 793 zero-emission autonomous haul trucks to support Rio Tinto’s mining operations in Australia. The company in August 2021, announced an agreement with BHP which is the leading resources company to develop zero-emission battery-powered large mining trucks. The trucks will be built and designed by Caterpillar and facilitate the path towards zero-emissions mining across the globe. They recently announced the financial results for the second quarter of the year 2021 with sales and revenue worth $12.9 billion which was an increase of 29% from the revenue of the same term last year which reported $10 billion.
Liebherr, which is the largest company manufacturing construction and mining equipment, has entered into an agreement with ABB, the leader of automation and electrification. The two companies have signed a memorandum of agreement according to which they will develop solutions for the electrification of construction and mining equipment to reduce greenhouse gases and emissions associated with using heavy machines. The company has also partnered with Hexagon to deliver the next generation software and autonomous technology for construction and mine automation.
The company released its report for the fiscal year 2021 which reported a total sales of EUR 10,341 million which was a decline of 12% representing EUR 1,409 million declines for the sales reported for the fiscal year 2020. The company also invested about EUR 512 million in the research and development department with the main focus on the development of new products and technologies. The company developed the world’s first fully battery-powered crawler crane LR 1250.1 as well as fully electric truck mixers ETM 1005 and ETM 1205.
Volvo construction recently released the financial statement for the second quarter of the year 2021 with the total net sales worth $2.9 billion which was a 13% increase from the results of the same quarter of 2020 worth $2.6 billion.
Doosan Heavy Industries and construction has entered a contract with X-energy based in the US, which is developing a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. The agreement is set to perform engineering service for manufacturing study of the equipment. The company will support the agreement by performing a study for optimum design. The company has also signed a contract with China Technology company which is a subsidiary of the state-owned energy corporation CGN. According to the agreement, the company will supply industrial anti-seismic protection systems that will be installed at Tianwan units 7&8.
Hitachi Construction Machinery announced in August 2021, that they have dissolved the joint venture alliance with Deere, the construction machinery giant. Upon the dissolution of the agreement from March 2022, the company will be able to provide new products and technologies directly to customers through an independent dealer network across north, central and south America. The company recently announced the financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2022 with revenue worth $2.08 billion which was a 34.1% increase from the revenue recorded for the same term last year worth $1.5 billion.
Doosan Infracore North America showcased a new -7 Series wheel loader at World of Concrete 2021. A new look and all-new, redesigned cabs with enhanced comfort features, increased bucket capacities and new fuel-saving technologies are highlights of this next generation of Doosan wheel loaders. Every -5 Series Doosan wheel loader will eventually be replaced by a -7 Series machine — from the DL200-7 to the DL580-7.
Terex designed the new TRT 80US, an 88 ton rough terrain crane. The model features the TEOS Terex Operating System with an improved interface — increasing flow and efficiency.
Caterpillar announced the latest additions to its Next Generation lineup with the introduction of the 302.7 CR, 303 CR and 303.5 CR compact radius hydraulic mini-excavators, which incorporate “industry-first features” for the 2.7- to 3.5-tonne class. These brand new models replace the 20-year-old 302.7 D, 15-year-old 303 E and 10-year-old 303.5 E2 designs.
Trimble and Doosan Infracore North America, LLC, announced that Doosan will offer the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform for Excavators as an optional factory-installed machine control solution for the North American market.
COMPANY PROFILES
- Liebherr Group
- CNH Industrial N.V.
- Hyundai Construction Equipment Co., Ltd.
- SANY Group
- AB Volvo
- Caterpillar Inc
- Komatsu Ltd.
- Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd.
- Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
- J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd.
