Platform on concrete and steel in construction
Surveyor-Experts Westmate rely on connected hardware and software from Trimble for international steel construction project
Not only does the new Narrow Water Bridge provide a physical link between Ireland and Northern Ireland, it is also a striking example of how digital surveying data is helping shape international steel construction projects today.
At the narrowest point of Carlingford Lough, a complex 195-meter structure emerges, where design, production, transportation and assembly must be seamless. In such a context, there is no room for interpretation or doubt. Every millimeter counts, and any deviation can carry over into the entire execution chain.
The measurements of Belgian surveyor team Westmate played a connecting role throughout this international project. Their assignment began on site in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where they mapped the entire site situation in one day using advanced 3D measurement technology. This approach, under time pressure, requires not only surveying expertise but also absolute reliability of the equipment used. For this, Westmate counts on Trimble's connected hardware and software.
Anyone building steel structures today sees how the complexity of projects continues to increase. Technicity is increasing, parts are getting larger, tolerances tighter and deadlines shorter. At the same time, more and more parties are working together, across national borders. That makes one thing clear: The days of working with loose plans, cuts and guesswork are over.
With the Narrow Water Bridge, this becomes particularly evident. The bridge consists of a fixed southern fixed cable-stayed bridge and a northern cable-stayed bridge with a rolling bascule mechanism. The steel structures are manufactured by the Belgian steel construction company Aelterman, BAM is responsible for the concrete construction, and the transport and assembly of the bridge sections is carried out by Sarens.
In such a chain, any error can cause a domino effect. A deviation of a few millimeters in steel construction in Belgium can cause days of downtime on the other side of the water. That's why Westmate and Aelterman deliberately chose a connected workflow, in which Trimble Tekla Structures, Trimble Connect and Trimble measurement equipment work together seamlessly. The result is a single source of truth for all partners, regardless of location, discipline or phase.
The Narrow Water Bridge is a model of how a modern connected workflow holds an international project together. That workflow starts with the first digital points Westmate captures on the site. The 3D measurement is the foundation upon which designers, steel fabricators and erection crews continue to build, as a data stream that remains consistent from the first moment.
“Terrain measurement is integrated directly into the design model in Tekla Structures. As a result, designers no longer work with assumptions, but with constructible data: accurate, actionable information from reality. This makes it possible to test complex connections, tolerances and moving parts - such as the bascule mechanism - against actual conditions as early as the design phase,” points out Laurens De Temmerman of Westmate.
When the design is ready, it is not forwarded as a static drawing, but published as an up-to-date 3D model in Trimble Connect. That platform forms the digital backbone of the project. Revisions are automatically tracked, changes are transparent and everyone works with the same information, in real time. This avoids the classic pitfalls of delayed mail traffic, loose files and differences in interpretation.
“On site, production and construction teams no longer have to question the accuracy of their data. Field crews open the model directly on their Trimble field book, where every part is displayed exactly as designed. No cuts, no flat drawings, no interpretation. The bridge section that is in the factory is the same bridge section that appears on the screen,” explains Westmate's Gregory Vanderstraeten.
Important here is the operation of the Trimble SX12. The total station combines point measurement with 3D scanning, allowing Westmate to capture both critical points and complete geometries. The scans are linked to the design model in Trimble Connect, where deviations become visually visible. Thus, problems are not discovered only during assembly, but already during production: a significant gain in a chain where every downtime weighs heavily.
For example, if during production in Belgium a discrepancy is found compared to the measurement of concrete construction in the UK, BAM can immediately adjust their formwork. What would otherwise lead to delays, extra costs and downtime is thus resolved even before the problem can take hold.
This predictability is the real power of the digital workflow. Design, production, transport and assembly thus evolve from separate links to one integrated process in which information flows freely and error-free.
Within the steel construction industry, more and more companies are choosing to entrust land meshing to specialized partners such as Westmate. This choice has to do not only with technology, but also with expertise and responsibility.
Westmate has specific knowledge around 3D scanning, expansion and modeling. Moreover, they work with high-tech measuring instruments that are calibrated on a regular basis to guarantee maximum accuracy.
“Material properties also play a role. After all, steel reacts to temperature, so expansion and shrinkage are included in the modeling by default. These are all parameters that come into play,” Laurens De Temmerman continued.
Implementing digital measurement and collaboration systems requires more than hardware alone. Support, training and knowledge sharing are essential to make the most of the technology.
AllTerra plays a connecting role in this as a Trimble distributor. The specialist in topography and surveying supports users with implementation, training and technical questions and ensures that systems are correctly integrated into existing workflows.
“Our role goes beyond supplying equipment. Our application engineers listen to the needs of users like Westmate, think about efficient workflows and provide the right support,” clarifies Stefan Clopterop of AllTerra. “If additional support is needed, we put Westmate in contact with Trimble and Construsoft - distributor of Tekla Structures, among others - so that specific software questions can be matched,” Francis De Meurechy continued.
What this evolution in steel construction ultimately makes clear is that digitization is all about collaboration, transparency and trust, supported by technology.
When measurement data is correctly recorded and shared, peace of mind is created throughout the project chain. Designers, steel fabricators, transporters and assembly crews work from the same shared reality and can anticipate possible deviations faster and in a more focused manner.
For an industry in which precision, timing and safety are crucial, this is a significant step forward. In other words, measuring is knowing. But it is only when data is also shared and integrated that real gains are made, without downtime.
