In early 2009, Haydon Building Corp., Phoenix, was awarded a $7.9 million contract by the Town of Gilbert, a suburb located southeast of Phoenix, for bridge widening and roadway section improvements among other work along Higley Road, a major north-south arterial. A lane was to be added in each direction over a wash in the Eastern Maricopa Floodway that passes under the existing 450-foot bridge and Haydon started work in October 2008. Haydon had recently adopted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-enabled machine control and saw an opportunity to use the technology for excavating the bridge piers.
The use of GNSS eliminated the need to stake the excavations and for a surveyor to verify the location, dimensions and wall slope of the footing excavations, saving Haydon and the owner time and money.

Continued on page 2

Company: Haydon Building Corp.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Project: Pier excavations for Higley Road bridge-widening
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Scope: Verifying the location, dimensions and wall slope of 10 footing excavations of 27 feet deep, 97 feet long and 70 feet wide that support five piers on either side of an existing 450-foot bridge that support two new traffic lanes.
Topcon Products:
X63 excavator control system
GX-60 color touch screen control box
3D-GPS+ machine control system

Topcon Dealer:
Branco Machinery
Gilbert, AZ
www.brancomachinery.com