Case Study: Eiffage TP Group achieves 100% productivity gains on LGV Est high-speed rail project with Trimble 3D Machine Control

Eiffage TP Group Realizes 100% Productivity Gains in LGV Est High-speed Rail Project with Trimble 3D Machine Control

Fougerolle Ballot Terrassements (Eiffage TP Group) was contracted to complete Lot 35 of the LGV Est Européenne high-speed rail line, a massive earthworks job that required moving about eight million cubic meters of material, building nearly 30 km of rail platform and meeting extremely tight precision tolerances of roughly 3 cm within a two-year window. The program involved over 120 machines and required both high production rates and centimeter-level accuracy to avoid costly material errors on a fixed-price contract.

The company implemented Trimble 3D machine control (GCS900), Trimble Business Center - HCE for 3D design/data prep, a network of five SPS852 base stations and in‑cab CB460 guidance across key machines. The result was dramatically higher efficiency and accuracy: bulldozers achieved 350 m²/hr (finish excavators 200 m²/hr), embankment grading capacity doubled (a 100% productivity gain), platform production rose to 10,000 m²/day versus ~6,000 without guidance, touch-ups and stakes were eliminated, material errors reduced, and operations were safer and faster. The team also adopted a solar-powered base station and plans to continue using Trimble solutions on future LGV projects.

Eiffage TP Group

Frédéric Bourgault

Excavation Contractor and Director