About Us
Since 1955, Nicholson Construction Company has been setting the industry standard for performance and technical innovation in geotechnical construction. As the North American business unit of the Soletanche Bachy Group, Nicholson is part of a global network of unparalleled geotechnical resources and expertise, specializing in deep foundations, earth retention, ground treatment and ground improvement.
We have built our reputation by performing the highest quality work and providing the most innovative solutions on the widest range of demanding and high profile projects. With district offices around the country Nicholson has the capabilities and local expertise to address each region’s unique geotechnical construction needs.
For over 50 years, Nicholson has pioneered U.S. geotechnical construction – developing and introducing new techniques and completing many technically challenging, high-profile projects. Here is a look at some of Nicholson’s firsts and significant achievements:
1950s
1955 – Nicholson was founded by Arthur Nicholson in Pittsburgh. Nicholson operated as a regional pile driving company before evolving into a full-service structural support geotechnical contractor in the late 1960s.
1970s
1970 – Built the first permanent soil anchor wall in the U.S. for the Corps of Engineers in South Haven, MI.
1970 – Constructed the first U.S. permanent rock anchor wall for Armco Steel in Butler, PA.
1971 – Built the first known permanent rock anchor wall for landslide stabilization in the U.S. for Penn Electric in Johnstown, PA.
1972 – Completed the first known U.S. dam anchor project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Cannelton Dam in Indiana.
1975 – Built a 60-foot tall retaining wall at Roanoke Hospital in Virginia. At the time it was constructed, it was believed to be the tallest permanent retaining wall in the United States.
1976 – Installed the first known high-capacity permanent-cased micropile in the U.S. for Shenango Corporation in Pittsburgh.
1978 – Installed the first restressable anchor heads in the U.S. in Salem, Massachusetts for New England Power.
1979 – Installed the first known pre-stressed micropiles in the U.S. at Orange County Prison in Warwick, NY.
1980s
1982 – Installed 300-foot-long anchors at Bagnell Dam in Missouri. At the time, these were the longest anchors installed in the U.S.
1988 – Installed 53-strand anchors at Shepaug Dam in Connecticut. At the time, these were the largest anchors in the U.S.
1988 – Soletanche, Inc. constructed a 400-foot-deep diaphragm wall using a hydrofraise at Mud Mountain Dam in Washington State - a world record depth for a diaphragm wall.
1990s
1990 – Installed 58-strand, 320-foot long anchors at Lake Lynn Dam in West Virginia. At the time, these were the largest and longest anchors installed in the U.S.
1991 – Installed the first epoxy-coated strand anchors in the U.S. at Stewart Mountain Dam in Arizona.
1992 – Installed over 4,000 anchors to support an anchored retaining wall in Steubenville, OH. At the time, this was North America's largest anchored retaining wall.
1995 – First known use of jet grouting for open-face tunneling in North America at Islais Creek in San Francisco.
1996 – Injected 6.5 million gallons of chemical grout at the Park Road Tunnels project in Washington, DC. At the time, this was the largest chemical grouting project in the U.S.
1997 – Installed the first anchors in the U.S. with large-diameter, pre-grouted corrugated at Cross River Dam in New York.
1997 – Performed the largest known soil mixing project in the United States at the Fort Point Channel in Boston.
1997 – Injected nearly 14 million pounds of cement at the Eastside Reservoir/West Dam in Southern California. At the time, this was the largest U.S. computerized cement grouting project.
1997 – Installed 536 micropiles at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in Las Vegas to stabilize the structure, which had settled as much as 18 inches prior to opening.
1997 – Installed over 1,600 micropiles for the Williamsburg Bridge reconstruction project in New York City. At the time, this was the largest use of micropiles for a bridge foundation in the U.S.
2000s
2001 – A Nicholson-led joint venture installed nearly 1,000 anchors to stabilize the World Trade Center bathtub and facilitate recovery efforts.
2002 – Installed 61-strand test anchors at Bluestone Dam in West Virginia. At the time, these were the largest anchors installed in the U.S.
2003 – Constructed a diaphragm wall support of excavation system for the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center project in Washington, DC.
2005 – Soletanche, Inc. merged into Nicholson to become the new North American business unit of the Soletanche Bachy Group.
2005 – Introduced Cutter Soil Mixing technology in the United States.
2006 – Installed vibro stone columns at two test sites along a subway tunnel under the San Francisco Bay using our specialized Double Lock Gravel Pump system.
2007 – Constructed a 50-foot-high cantilevered retaining wall with barrettes for the Abingdon Heights condominium tower in Arlington, VA. This is believed to be the tallest top-down cantilevered wall in the world.
2009 - Nicholson Construction Company has acquired the capital stock of Terra Drilling Company Inc., a geotechnical contractor headquartered in Hudson, MA.