Why Kiewit Removes the Noise of Mobilisation in Megaprojects

As one of the US’ largest construction companies, the past three years has seen Kiewit's workload expand rapidly. 

In 2025, the Kiewit Supply Network (KSN), which manages logistics across projects supported a total 42 as the demand for megaprojets exceeding US$1bn continue to grow.

For Kiewit, the answer to completing a wave of megaprojects in a timely, organised fashion is “removing the noise of mobilisation so the teams can focus on the work itself”.

Planning starts long before mobilisation

The coordination of teams must start before local mobilisation, and in fact during the estimate ahead of contract execution.

It’s about “aligning materials, logistics and site needs,” says Colin McKernan, President of KSN.

Once this initial work is complete, the project can begin without any issues. The focus is on the client’s expectations throughout.

“That coordination allows us to stand up a project quickly and focus on planning the work with limited distractions so our teams can deliver for the client from day one,” says Colin.

The same attention to preparation and cross team alignment is displayed throughout various parts of the company. For instance, the equipment teams work alongside estimating and construction to identify what a project needs from the available fleet or find alternatives such as rentals.

Keeping a log of where each piece of equipment is needed and for how long keeps the teams moving seamlessly from one project to the next.

“We have a corporate schedule with start and end dates for all the equipment assets we have in the company,” says Steve Curry, Vice President of Kiewit Equipment Services.

As for the smooth running of a project, starting the planning process for specialised equipment is pivotal.

“If specialised equipment is needed, lead times are critical, so the longer we have to evaluate options and make decisions, the better chance we have of being able to fulfil the project needs on time,” Steve says. 

“All the planning and execution, loading, assembly, disassembly – that’s all done by Kiewit people. It allows us to control our destiny.”

Precise planning to keep to schedule

Staying on track with schedule also helps Kiewit keep control of another crucial element of the project  – the costs.

First it establishes when the trailers need to be on the ground for work to start on site. From there, it works backwards, planning from six months in advance.

All aspects of the site are organised, from the plumbing and electricals, to IT infrastructure and connectivity to cleaning and waste.

How easy the implementation of its plans are depends on factors such as the reliability of vendors and systems, but also weather, location and site conditions.

It requires forward-thinking, identifying what could potentially hinder project execution and ensuring these details are ironed out in advance to prevent them from becoming distractions once the project team enters the site.

Kiewit’s comprehensive planning processes have proven essential in supporting full site readiness, including for the company’s Broadway Bridge job in Nashville, Tennessee, which had a short window for crane lifts over an active rail line. Equipment had to be staged, ready and taken away to a tight schedule.

Further south, its recent infrastructure job at The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, required precise planning to deliver a treatment facility that delivers 50 million gallons of drinking water daily.

The company’s Vice President of Human Resources, Alyson Manning recognises another imperative in the planning puzzle. “None of it happens without the people in place to build it,” she says. “It comes down to having the right people in place at the right time.”

Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a wide range of markets from transportation to oil, gas and chemical to building. In 2025, it increased its revenues year-on-year by 8.3% to US$18.2bn.