Case Study
Hunter Contracting widens "The Widow Maker"
Learn how Trimble Viewpoint Spectrum helped Hunter Contracting tackle expanding a treacherous access road to make way for a 200,000-pound crane.
Impact
- $50,000 saved through real-time production tracking
- Increased transparency to stakeholders
- Strengthened estimating and bidding accuracy
- Streamlined office-to-field collaboration
At a glance products
Comparing planned versus actual production in Spectrum allowed us to spot potential problems with the drainage channel. The data revealed that continuing at the current production pace would cause us to lose nearly $50,000. With this insight, we were able to dig deeper and determine that the concrete trucks were taking too long...
— Sean Osborne
Project engineer, Hunter Contracting
The situation
At 2,104 feet, North Mountain is one of the Phoenix metropolitan area’s most recognizable landmarks and busiest hiking destinations. It’s also home to several aging transmission towers which, since 1965, have served as central hubs for the city’s wireless and fire VHF networks. When the existing towers could not safely support new equipment while also complying with loading standards, the city made plans to construct a new 120-ft-high tower at the mountain’s summit. However, there was one big problem that had to be addressed before construction on the new tower could begin.
North Mountain, in the Phoenix metro area, is both a popular recreation area and an ideal location for television and radio towers, but was treacherous to ascend.
Known as “The Widow Maker” for its blind spots and steep grades, the access road leading to the construction site was in disrepair. Further complicating the project’s safety considerations was the 200,000 pound crane needed to erect the tower, which the access road wasn’t wide enough to accommodate. The city tasked Hunter Contracting, a heavy civil construction company based in Gilbert, Ariz., with renovating and extending the 4,400 ft winding road, making it safe to travel and ensuring there would be enough surface area to accommodate the crane.
