Bowen’s Digital Journey Elevates Efficiency, Workforce, Owner Results

By Vicki Speed, Construction Technology Writer

In the high-stakes world of municipal and industrial construction, where precision is paramount and errors can have lasting impacts, Bowen emerges as a leader, harnessing technology to redefine industry standards…and expectations.

Imagine a dynamic construction site where each action is deliberate, each decision informed by data, and each result carefully planned. This describes Bowen’s operations as a general contractor specializing in essential water, wastewater, industrial and energy facilities throughout the United States.

Their commitment to excellence is evident in their ability to self-perform 80% of work on projects that range from massive concrete pours to large scale excavations. The company’s success is possible in part due to the company’s investment in technology. Bowen’s journey into the digital realm in recent years has focused on connecting field operations to improve safety, productivity and data management.

Scott Heinzelman, survey controls engineer with Bowen, added, “The accuracy and the correction sources on GNSS-enabled solutions have advanced considerably. It used to be a lot of parts and pieces, and now they are starting to simplify it. It’s becoming more user friendly, and more importantly, our engineers, operators and other field team members really like having all the information in front of them.”

This digital transformation has not only enhanced project delivery through a connected workflow, but has also laid a solid foundation for workforce development and collaboration.

One Technology Leads to Another

Bowen’s technology adoption began over 15 years ago, initially with GNSS for surveying which then morphed into GNSS-guided heavy equipment.

Through its ongoing partnership with SITECH of Indiana, Bowen initially tested Trimble GCS900 Grade Control systems on excavators and dozers, yielding positive results and leading to a broader adoption of the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform with Trimble Business Center (TBC) field-to-finish survey software for model development.

Today, the firm operates 14 GNSS-enabled machines – and operators regularly request these technology equipped solutions. Heinzelman added, “Many of our operators appreciate the capabilities on these machines that allows them to complete tasks with accuracy and no rework.

As one operator recently stated, “On every project we’ve done in the last two years, I’ve had a GNSS-enabled machine. The benefit for me has been productivity. It’s particularly beneficial for digging pipe trenches where I can set offsets. These machines keep us right on elevation and provide a nice level dig across the entire area of work.”

Elevated Linework and Multiple Savings

One of the most recent large-scale projects to benefit from GNSS on machines was in Glendale, Kentucky. The overall effort encompassed sitework over 80 acres, the movement of 30,000 cubic yards of dirt, setting 1,700 cubic yards of concrete foundations and 70,000 tons of stone.

Heinzelman said, “We used TBC to elevate the linework so we could create designs for the machines. We developed subgrade and finished grade models for the drainage and then subsequently the roads. These models were uploaded to dozers utilizing grade control software.”

He also noted the project team was able to take a topographic survey of the jobsite using drones. “We input the data from the drone into TBC and figured out we could redirect extra dirt spoils instead of hauling it offsite,” he continued. “That management of data resulted in considerable cost savings for both us and the owner.” 

The ROI of Safe Slopes

For a project in Lafayette, Indiana, the technology delivered even more impressive results for mass excavation and final grade out of an underground water storage project.

The effort required the construction of a storage tank with a 22,000-square-foot bottom shaped like a cone so precision was non-negotiable. With grade control, the excavation of 30,000 cubic yards of dirt and the establishment of 1.5:1 side slopes as well as the bottom of the tank to 2% was done exactly to spec.

“Again, we looked to the grade control system to speed up work processes and reduce material costs. With our GNSS-enabled equipment, we were confident in the precision of the sloped open cut excavation in a safer environment,” Heinzelman said. “The technology eliminated the need for someone checking points as the work was completed. We knew we were cutting it safely and the final product was uniform.”

On this project, technology saved the crew a considerable amount of hand grading and field engineer time establishing and checking grades. Heinzelman added, “The same can be said when it comes time to backfill and finish grades on the jobsite. We even cut in ramps for our trucks to get in and out based off of the machine control model.”

Empowering the Workforce, Strengthening Collaboration

One of the unexpected benefits of Bowen’s investment in grade control systems has been more energized operators. “Finding operators in today’s labor market is a challenge,” confirmed Heinzelman. “Our ability to maintain a high level of efficiency and quality in the field gives us a leg up.”

Bowen has also found the technology investment, and its expanding digital ecosystem, has cross-project advantages.

Heinzelman concluded, “The digital data from our machines, and our other technology solutions, provides added value to our partners, helping strengthen those relationships and ensuring we are able to put together the best teams to solve any customer need.”

As Bowen continues to innovate and refine its processes, the benefits of the firm’s technological investments are evident in their ability to transform its civil construction workflow, enabling more precise earthwork, reducing the project engineer time on-site, improving project execution and delivering projects a grade above the rest. Tags: Bowen, Trimble