Case Study: Ístak achieves faster, more accurate dam and spillway construction—saving days of surveying—with Trimble VisionLink and GCS900

Icelandic Contractor Uses Trimble Systems for Spillway and Dam Construction

Ístak, an Icelandic contractor, was the main builder for the Búðarháls hydropower project, which included two rock dams, a 4 km tunnel and dredging a 76,000 m³ tailrace in a remote, silted river environment. The team faced tight deadlines and difficult underwater excavation conditions where operators could not see bucket positions, and poor cellular coverage complicated remote data reporting and progress tracking.

Ístak equipped excavators with seven Trimble GCS900 machine‑control systems (Dual GNSS) and used Trimble VisionLink to collect and compare as‑built TAG files to design models. Data was transferred to VisionLink (via USB when cellular was weak), enabling live progress tracking, accurate volume calculations and payment based on machine data. The solution improved productivity, eliminated “digging blind,” saved about four days of survey time and three days of surveyor work, and paid for itself on the job.

Ístak

Björn Sigþór Skúlason

Civil Engineer