Case Study: Kiewit achieves millimeter-precision cable-stay bridge construction and on-time delivery with Trimble surveying solutions

Kiewit - Customer Case Study

Peter Kiewit Sons is building a CAD$198M, seven‑lane cable‑stay Pitt River Bridge near Vancouver that required exceptional surveying accuracy. The team had to position 96 cable anchors to within ±10 mm and 0.4° rotation on six 60 m pylons, stake out 189 stone support columns in the river, monitor ground and structural movement, drive much deeper foundations and lift a new bridge deck between two existing swing bridges that remained open to traffic.

Kiewit used an integrated Trimble solution—GNSS (5800 RTK, R8, 5700), S6/S8 total stations, VRS, Terramodel and Survey Controller—establishing a static control baseline, automating monitoring, positioning columns with crane guidance and using permanently mounted prisms for girder work. The system delivered daily structural monitoring to ±3 mm, girder elevation accuracy of ±3 mm, successful placement of 189 columns and 100 m pile drives, real‑time sway control during lifts, and kept the project on track to open on schedule.

Kiewit