Project Snapshot
| Category | Details |
| Client | DP World Vancouver (formerly P&O Ports) |
| Project Name | DP World Centerm Terminal Surveying |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Date | 1980–2020 |
Project Overview
Introduction
Centerm, now operated by DP World Vancouver, is one of Canada’s busiest container ports. Underhill has played a critical role in its development, providing surveying services throughout multiple expansion and upgrade phases—spanning from the 1980s to a $150 million revitalization in recent years.
Project Challenges
The complexity of an active marine terminal—featuring cranes, storage yards, lease boundaries, and roadways—requires high-precision, adaptable surveying. Projects had to accommodate ongoing operations and phased construction timelines, while integrating with legacy datasets.
Underhill’s Approach
Over four decades, Underhill has delivered consistent, high-quality surveying to support terminal planning, construction, and operations. Services included topographic mapping, as-built documentation of infrastructure and services, construction layout, lease boundary definition, bathymetric surveys, and crane alignment support.
Our long-term involvement provided continuity and geospatial consistency across multiple engineering consultants, general contractors, and port authority stakeholders.
Notable Outcomes
- Supported $150M terminal upgrade and container yard expansion
- Provided lease boundary and crane alignment surveys for port operations
- Enabled accurate construction and layout planning across decades
- Contributed to one of Canada’s key international trade gateways
Technical Highlights
- Topographic and detailed as-built surveys of terminal infrastructure
- Legal lease boundary surveys for long-term port planning
- Crane alignment and structural positioning verification
- Construction layout for utilities, roads, and container yard facilities
- Bathymetric surveys for marine berth development
- CAD and digital modeling for spatial records and planning
Project Impact
Underhill’s decades-long involvement has helped shape Centerm into a key node in Canada’s global trade network. Our accurate surveys supported major terminal expansions, lease planning, and crane operations—enabling efficient upgrades without interrupting port activity. This work has contributed to long-term infrastructure reliability at one of the country’s busiest container ports.
