Innovative equipment advances are driven by the need to solve in-the-field challenges posed by contractors on their projects. Conversely, construction firms can field-test new equipment advances and offer invaluable feedback. Having Trevi and Soilmec under one corporate umbrella has certainly facilitated this type of back-and-forth innovation.

Trevi crews and Soilmec equipment are engaged in record-breaking projects. One example is the construction of an extensive seepage barrier wall along the centerline of Kentucky's 60-year-old Wolf Creek Dam, which would not have been possible 20 years ago; another is New Orleans' 5.3-mile-long Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity 111 levee, which will be strong enough to stand up to Katrina-like hurricanes and storm surges because of new deep-soil mixing technology; still another is Copenhagen's Cityringen Metro stations and associated tunneling, a feat of subsurface construction in a dense urban area with hard rock and a high groundwater table.

What's the lesson? Adopting new technologies that have been proven in Europe and other parts of the world is one great way to reduce risk and continue to build great projects.

Simone Trevisani is the CEO of Soilmec, a TREVI Group company.