Emergence of heavy contracting in the United States in the nineteenth century

The emergence of “heavy” contracting—meaning the construction of public works and civil engineering projects—in the United States in the nineteenth century is explored through contracting by canal and railroad companies. Using data on contracts and the careers of contractors for these works, including from a sample of Pennsylvania Railroad contracts, this study addresses two questions. First, was heavy contracting a segment of the construction industry, distinct from contracting for buildings? Second, did railroad contracting firms become large, and did the large firms dominate the industry? The study concludes that from an early date, the construction industry in the USA was segmented between heavy work and building construction, and within the heavy field, between horizontal and superstructure work, and these categories persisted through the nineteenth century. Moreover, while some heavy construction firms became large, there is no evidence that they dominated the industry.