Item 1. Business

Founded in 1889, CB&I, a Netherlands company, provides a wide range of services, including conceptual design, technology, engineering, procurement, fabrication, modularization, construction, commissioning, maintenance, program management and environmental services to customers in the energy infrastructure market throughout the world, and is a provider of diversified government services. Our stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the ticker symbol “CBI.” With more than a century of experience and approximately 42,100 employees worldwide, we capitalize on our global expertise and local knowledge to safely and reliably deliver projects virtually anywhere. At a given point in time, we have active projects in process in more than 70 countries.

Dispositions

On December 31, 2015 we completed the sale of our nuclear power construction business (the “Nuclear Operations”), previously included within our Engineering & Construction operating group, to Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (“WEC”) for transaction consideration of approximately $161.0 million , which is due upon WEC’s substantial completion of the acquired VC Summer and Vogtle nuclear projects. At December 31, 2015, we recorded the present value of the transaction consideration (the “Transaction Receivable”); however, during the fourth quarter 2016 we determined that recovery was no longer probable and recorded a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $148.1 million (approximately $96.3 million after-tax) to reserve the Transaction Receivable. During 2015, we recorded a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $1.5 billion (approximately $1.1 billion after-tax) related to the impairment of goodwill (approximately $453.1 million ) and intangible assets (approximately $79.1 million ) and a loss on the net assets sold (approximately $973.7 million ) as a result of the sale.

See Note 4 and Note 12 within Item 8 for additional discussion regarding the sale of our Nuclear Operations and related dispute with WEC, respectively.

Segment Financial Information

Our management structure and internal and public segment reporting are aligned based upon the services offered by our four operating groups, which represent our reportable segments.

Engineering & Construction. Engineering & Construction provides engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”) services for major energy infrastructure facilities. Projects for this operating group include upstream and downstream process facilities for the oil and gas industry, such as refinery process units and petrochemical facilities, as well as LNG liquefaction and regasification terminals, and fossil electric generating plants for the power generation industry. Customers include international energy companies such as AES, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Duke Energy, Westlake Chemical Corporation, Lotte Chemical Corporation and Sempra Energy; national energy companies such as Orpic (Oman) and KNPC (Kuwait); and regional energy companies in the U.S. such as Entergy and Freeport LNG.

Fabrication Services. Fabrication Services provides fabrication and erection of steel plate structures; fabrication of piping systems and process modules; manufacturing and distribution of pipe and fittings; and engineered products for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, water and wastewater, mining and mineral processing industries. Projects for this operating group include above ground storage tanks, LNG and low temperature tanks, field erected pressure vessels and spheres, elevated water storage tanks and other specialty structures, process modules, fabrication of piping and structural steel, induction bending and module prefabrication and assembly. Customers include international energy companies such as Chevron, ChevronPhillips, ConocoPhillips, Dow, ExxonMobil and Shell; international mining and mineral processing companies such as Alcoa and BHP; national energy companies such as ADNOC (United Arab Emirates (“UAE”)), KNPC (Kuwait) and Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia); regional refining, chemical, and gas processing companies such as Flint Hills Resources (U.S.), Suncor (U.S. and Canada) and Sunoco (U.S.); and regional terminal operators such as Enterprise (U.S.) and Kinder Morgan (U.S. and Canada).

Technology . Technology provides proprietary process technology licenses and associated engineering services and catalysts, primarily for the petrochemical and refining industries, and offers process planning and project development services and a comprehensive program of aftermarket support. Technology has a 50% owned unconsolidated joint venture with Chevron (“Chevron-Lummus Global” or “CLG”) that provides proprietary process technology licenses and associated engineering services and catalyst, primarily for the refining industry. Technology also has a 33.3% owned unconsolidated joint venture (“NET Power”) with Exelon Generation Company, LLC and 8 Rivers Capital, LLC, for the purpose of commercializing a new natural gas power generation system that recovers the carbon dioxide produced during combustion. The joint venture is currently building a demonstration unit in Texas. Technology customers include international energy companies such as Chevron, Phillips 66, Reliance, Shell, TOTAL, and Valero; national energy companies such as Indian Oil (India), Pemex (Mexico), Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia), PetroChina (China) and Takreer (UAE); and regional energy companies such as Irving Oil (Canada) and Thai Oil (Thailand).

Capital Services . Capital Services provides comprehensive and integrated maintenance services, environmental engineering and remediation, construction services, program management, and disaster response and recovery for private-sector customers and governments. Private-sector customers include international chemical manufacturing companies such as

Occidental Chemical; regional energy providers in the U.S. such as Entergy and Exelon; and regional refining, chemical, and gas processing companies in the U.S. such as Flint Hills Resources. Government customers include U.S. Federal departments and agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”), U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), as well as U.S. state and local governments.

Segment financial information by operating group can be found under “Results of Operations” within Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in Note 17 within Item 8.

Competitive Strengths

Our core competencies, which we believe are significant competitive strengths, include:

Strong Health, Safety and Environmental (“HSE”) Performance. Because of our long and outstanding safety record, we are sometimes invited to bid on projects for which other competitors do not qualify. Our HSE performance also translates directly to lower costs and reduced risk to our employees, subcontractors and customers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national Lost Workday Case Incidence Rate for construction companies similar to CB&I was 1.0  per 100 full-time employees for 2015 (the latest reported year), while our rates for 2015 and 2016 were only 0.01 per 100 employees and 0.02  per 100 employees, respectively. CB&I was awarded the 2015 Green Cross for Safety medal by the National Safety Council for our outstanding achievement in workplace safety. CB&I was the first company in our industry to earn this honor, which is one of the most prestigious safety awards a company can receive.

Licensed Technologies. We hold approximately 3,500 patents and offer a broad, state-of-the-art portfolio of over 90 hydrocarbon refining, petrochemical and gas processing technologies. Our ability to provide licensed technologies sets us apart from our competitors and presents opportunities for increased profitability. Combining technology with EPC capabilities strengthens our presence throughout the project life cycle, allowing us to capture additional market share in higher margin growth markets.

Worldwide Record of Excellence. We have an established record as a leader in the international engineering and construction industry by providing consistently superior project performance for more than a century. The extensive roster of successful projects that we have executed around the world serves as a reference list for prospective clients, many of whom view such reference projects as a critically important element in selecting a contractor.

Global Execution Capabilities. With a network of approximately 200 sales and operations offices around the world, established supplier relationships and available workforces, we have the ability to rapidly mobilize personnel, materials and equipment to execute projects in locations ranging from highly industrialized countries to some of the world’s most remote regions. Additionally, due primarily to our long-standing presence in numerous markets around the world, we have a prominent position as a local direct hire contractor in global energy and industrial markets.

Integrated Execution Model. We are one of the few EPC contractors that has self perform construction capability in the U.S. and worldwide. In addition, we believe our world class piping fabrication facilities around the world are unique in the EPC contractor industry. These are key elements of our integrated project delivery model that provides our customers lower costs and schedule assurance due to our ability to directly perform and control the critical path activities of most projects. This provides us with a competitive advantage over other EPC contractors that operate in our space.

Modular Fabrication. We are one of the few EPC contractors and process technology providers with fabrication facilities, which allows us to offer customers the option of modular construction, when feasible. In contrast to traditional on-site “stick built” construction, modular construction enables modules to be built within a tightly monitored shop environment which allows us to, among other things, better control quality, minimize weather delays and expedite schedules. Once completed, the modules are shipped to, and assembled at, the project site.

Recognized Expertise. Our in-house engineering team includes internationally-recognized experts in a broad range of energy infrastructure fields, including processes and facilities related to oil and gas production, LNG, refining, petrochemicals, gas processing, power generation, modular design and fabrication, cryogenic storage and processing, and bulk liquid storage and systems. Several of our senior engineers are long-standing members of committees that have helped develop worldwide standards for storage structures and process vessels for the oil and gas industry, including the American Petroleum Institute and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In addition, and due in part to our integrated execution model, our engineers work closely with project managers to ensure that our design proposals place a premium on practical construction considerations.

Diversified Offering of Products and Services. We are well-diversified in our offerings and in the geographies we serve within the energy infrastructure market. Our diversity ranges from downstream activities such as gas processing, LNG, refining, and petrochemicals, to fossil based power plants and upstream activities such as offshore oil and gas and onshore oil sands projects. Our products and services for these end markets include feasibility studies and consulting, technology licensing,

front end engineering design, EPC, piping and modular fabrication, storage solutions, engineered products, specialized equipment, and operations, maintenance and environmental services. The diversity of our offerings improves our competitive positioning by allowing us to provide our customers with a fully-integrated platform for turnkey delivery, while retaining the flexibility to provide stand-alone offerings. In addition to serving the energy infrastructure market, we provide diversified government services.

Strong Focus on Project Risk Management. We are experienced in managing the risks associated with identifying, screening, bidding and executing complex projects. Our position as an integrated EPC service provider allows us to execute global projects on a competitively bid and negotiated basis. We offer our customers a range of contracting options, including cost-reimbursable, fixed-price and hybrid, which has both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price characteristics.

Management Team with Extensive Engineering and Construction Industry Experience. Members of our senior management team have an average of over 30 years of experience in the energy infrastructure industry.

Growth Strategy

Although our near-term prospects may be moderated by the overall level of capital investment in energy infrastructure, we anticipate that our intermediate-term growth will primarily be derived organically from our competitive positioning in existing end markets. Through our fully integrated offerings, we have the ability to provide technology, engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, maintenance, and associated services. Our ability to grow is underpinned by our capacity to compete for, and execute, the largest energy infrastructure projects globally while maintaining the agility to pursue stand-alone opportunities that generate a strong base of work. Our competitive positioning is further supported by our superior record of project execution coupled with selectivity in the developments we pursue and our partnering arrangements. On an opportunistic and strategic basis, we may pursue further growth through selective acquisitions of additional businesses, technologies, or assets that expand or complement our strategic alliances or current portfolio of services and meet our stringent acquisition criteria.

Competition

We operate in a competitive environment. Technology performance, price, timeliness of completion, quality, safety record, track record and reputation are principal competitive factors within our industry. There are numerous regional, national and global competitors that offer similar services to those offered by each of our operating groups.

Marketing and Customers

We contract directly with hundreds of customers in the energy, petrochemical, natural resource, power and government services industries. We rely primarily on direct contact between our technically qualified sales and engineering staff and our customers’ engineering and contracting departments. Dedicated sales employees are located in offices throughout the world.

Our significant customers are primarily in the hydrocarbon and power generation industries and include major petroleum and petrochemical companies (see the “Segment Financial Information” section above for a representative listing of our customers by operating group). We have longstanding relationships with many of our significant customers; however, we are not dependent upon any single customer on an ongoing basis and do not believe the loss of any single customer would have a material adverse effect on our business. For 2016 , 2015 , and 2014 revenue from our LNG mechanical erection and tank projects in the Asia Pacific region for Gorgon LNG was approximately $1.1 billion (approximately 11% of our consolidated 2016 revenue), approximately $1.6 billion (approximately 13% of our consolidated 2015 revenue), and approximately $2.0 billion (approximately 15% of our consolidated 2014 revenue), respectively. For 2016 , revenue from our LNG export facility projects in the U.S. for Sempra Energy and Freeport LNG were approximately $1.6 billion (approximately 15% of our consolidated 2016 revenue) and approximately $1.1 billion (approximately 10% of our consolidated 2016 revenue), respectively.

Backlog

New awards represent the expected revenue value of new contract commitments received during a given period, as well as scope growth on existing commitments. Backlog represents the unearned value of our new awards. New awards and backlog include the entire award values for joint ventures we consolidate and our proportionate share of award values for joint ventures we proportionately consolidate. New awards and backlog also include our pro-rata share of the award values for unconsolidated joint ventures we account for under the equity method. As the net results for our equity method joint ventures are recognized as equity earnings, their revenue is not presented in our Consolidated Statement of Operations. Backlog may fluctuate with currency movements.

At December 31, 2016 , we had backlog of approximately $18.5 billion (including approximately $1.7 billion related to our equity method joint ventures), compared with $22.6 billion at December 31, 2015 (including approximately $1.8 billion related to our equity method joint ventures). The decrease in backlog from 2015 is primarily due to the impact of revenue exceeding new awards by $3.8 billion (including approximately $187.4 million of revenue related to our equity method joint

ventures) and other adjustments, primarily related to reductions in maintenance backlog for our Capital Services operating group. The geographic mix of our backlog and revenue is primarily dependent upon global energy demand and at December 31, 2016 , approximately 20% of our backlog was derived from projects outside the U.S., and for 2016 approximately 30% of our revenue was derived from projects outside the U.S. In addition, as certain contracts within our Capital Services and Engineering & Construction operating groups are dependent upon funding from the U.S. government, where funds are appropriated on a year-by-year basis, while contract performance may take more than one year, approximately $1.0 billion of our backlog at December 31, 2016 was for contractual commitments that are subject to future funding decisions. Due to the timing of awards and the long-term nature of some of our projects, approximately 50% to 55% of our December 31, 2016 backlog (including backlog associated with our equity method joint ventures) is anticipated to be recognized beyond 2017 . For further discussion of our backlog, see the applicable risk factor in Item 1A “Risk Factors” and the “Overview” section of Item 7.

Types of Contracts

Our contracts are awarded on a competitively bid and negotiated basis using a range of contracting options, including cost-reimbursable, fixed-price and hybrid, which has both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price characteristics. Each contract is designed to optimize the balance between risk and reward.

Raw Materials and Suppliers

The principal raw materials we use are metal plate, structural steel, pipe, fittings, catalysts, proprietary equipment and selected engineered equipment such as pressure vessels, exchangers, pumps, valves, compressors, motors and electrical and instrumentation components. Most of these materials are available from numerous suppliers worldwide, with some furnished under negotiated supply agreements. We anticipate being able to obtain these materials for the foreseeable future; however, the price, availability and schedule validities offered by our suppliers may vary significantly from year to year due to various factors, including supplier consolidations, supplier raw material shortages, costs, and surcharges, supplier capacity, customer demand, market conditions, and any duties and tariffs imposed on the materials.

We use subcontractors where it assists us in meeting customer requirements with regard to resources, schedule, cost or technical expertise. These subcontractors may range from small local entities to companies with global capabilities, some of which may be utilized on a repetitive or preferred basis. To the extent necessary, we anticipate being able to locate and contract with qualified subcontractors in all global areas where we do business.

Environmental Matters

Our operations are subject to extensive and changing U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as the laws of other countries, that establish health and environmental quality standards. These standards, among others, relate to air and water pollutants and the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. We are exposed to potential liability for personal injury or property damage caused by any release, spill, exposure or other accident involving such pollutants, substances or wastes.

In connection with the historical operation of our facilities, including those associated with acquired operations, substances which currently are or might be considered hazardous were used or disposed of at some sites that will or may require us to make expenditures for remediation. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify parties from whom we have purchased or to whom we have sold facilities for certain environmental liabilities arising from acts occurring before the dates those facilities were transferred.

We believe we are in compliance, in all material respects, with environmental laws and regulations and maintain insurance coverage to mitigate our exposure to environmental liabilities. We do not believe any environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations, financial position or cash flow. We do not anticipate we will incur material capital expenditures for environmental controls or for the investigation or remediation of environmental conditions during 2017 or 2018 .

Patents

We have numerous active patents and patent applications throughout the world, the majority of which are associated with technologies licensed by our Technology operating group. However, no individual patent is so essential that its loss would materially affect our business.

Employees

At December 31, 2016 , we employed approximately 42,100 persons worldwide, comprised of approximately 16,100 salaried employees and approximately 26,000 hourly and craft employees. Our number of employees, particularly hourly and craft, varies in relation to the location, number and size of projects we have in process at any given time. To preserve our

project management and technological expertise as core competencies, we continuously recruit and develop qualified personnel, and maintain ongoing training programs for all our key personnel.

The percentage of our employees represented by unions at December 31, 2016 was approximately 15% to 20% . We have agreements, which generally extend up to 6 years, with various unions representing groups of employees at project sites and fabrication facilities in the U.S., Canada, Australia and various other countries. We enjoy good relations with our unions and have not experienced a significant work stoppage in any of our facilities in more than ten years.

Available Information

We make available our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), free of charge through our Internet website at www.cbi.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The public may read and copy any materials we file with or furnish to the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website that contains our electronic filings at www.sec.gov .

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Any of the following risks (which are not the only risks we face) could have material adverse effects on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow:

Our Business is Dependent upon Major Construction and Service Contracts, the Unpredictable Timing of Which May Result in Significant Fluctuations in Our Cash Flow due to the Timing of Receipt of Payment Under the Contracts.

Our cash flow is dependent upon obtaining major construction and service contracts primarily for work in the energy, petrochemical, natural resource and government services markets throughout the world, especially in cyclical industries such as refining, natural gas and petrochemical. The timing of or failure to obtain contracts, delays in awards of contracts, cancellations of contracts, delays in completion of contracts, or failure to obtain timely payment from our customers, could result in significant periodic fluctuations in our cash flow. In addition, many of our contracts require us to satisfy specific progress or performance milestones in order to receive payment from the customer. As a result, we may incur significant costs for engineering, materials, components, equipment, labor or subcontractors prior to receipt of payment from a customer. Such expenditures could reduce our cash flow and necessitate borrowings under our credit facilities.

The Nature of Our Primary Contracting Terms for Our Contracts, Including Cost-Reimbursable and Fixed-Price or a Combination Thereof, Could Adversely Affect Our Operating Results.

We offer our customers a range of contracting options for our contracts, including cost-reimbursable, fixed-price and hybrid, which has both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price characteristics. Under cost-reimbursable contracts, we generally perform our services in exchange for a price that consists of reimbursement of all customer-approved costs and a profit component, which is typically a fixed rate per hour, an overall fixed fee, or a percentage of total reimbursable costs. If we are unable to obtain proper reimbursement for all costs incurred due to improper estimates, performance issues, customer disputes, or any of the additional factors noted below for fixed-price contracts, the project may be less profitable than we expect. Under fixed-price contracts, we perform our services and execute our projects at an established price and, as a result, benefit from cost savings, but may be unable to recover any cost overruns. If we do not execute a contract within our cost estimates, we may incur losses or the project may be less profitable than we expected. The revenue, cost and profit realized on such contracts can vary, sometimes substantially, from the original projections due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

Our hybrid contracts can have a combination of the risk factors described above for our fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contracts.

These risks are exacerbated for projects with long durations because there is an increased risk that the circumstances upon which we based our original estimates will change in a manner that increases costs. In addition, we sometimes bear the risk of delays caused by unexpected conditions or events. To the extent there are future cost increases that we cannot recover from our customers, joint venture partners, suppliers or subcontractors, the outcome could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

Furthermore, revenue and profit from our contracts can be affected by contract incentives or penalties that may not be known or finalized until the later stages of the contract term. Some of these contracts provide for the customer’s review of our accounting and cost control systems to verify the completeness and accuracy of the reimbursable costs invoiced. These reviews could result in reductions in reimbursable costs previously billed to the customer.

The cumulative impact of revisions in total cost estimates during the progress of work is reflected in the period in which these changes become known, including to the extent required, the reversal of profit recognized in prior periods and the recognition of losses expected to be incurred on contracts in progress. Due to the various estimates inherent in our contract accounting, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Our Billed and Unbilled Revenue May Be Exposed to Potential Risk if a Project is Terminated or Canceled, if Our Customers Encounter Financial Difficulties, or if We Encounter Disputes with Our Customers.

Our contracts often require us to satisfy or achieve certain milestones in order to receive payment for the work performed, or in the case of cost-reimbursable contracts, provide support for billings in advance of receiving payment. As a result, we may incur significant costs or perform significant amounts of work prior to receipt of payment. If our customer does not proceed with the completion of the project or defaults on its payment obligations, or if we encounter disputes with our customers with respect to the adequacy of billing support, we may face difficulties in collecting payment of amounts due to us for the costs previously incurred. In addition, many of our customers for large EPC projects are project-specific entities that do not have significant assets other than their interests in the EPC project. It may be difficult to collect amounts owed to us by these customers. If we are unable to collect amounts owed to us, this could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

We May Not Be Able to Fully Realize the Revenue Value Reported in Our Backlog.

New awards represent the expected revenue value of new contract commitments received during a given period, as well as scope growth on existing commitments. Commitments may be in the form of written contracts, purchase orders or indications of the amounts of time and materials we need to make available for customers’ anticipated projects. New awards may also include estimated amounts of work to be performed based on customer communication and historic experience and knowledge of our customers’ intentions. Backlog represents the unearned value of our new awards. New awards and backlog include the entire award values for joint ventures we consolidate and our proportionate share of award values for joint ventures we proportionately consolidate. New awards and backlog also include our pro-rata share of the award values for unconsolidated joint ventures we account for under the equity method. As the net results for our equity method joint ventures are recognized as equity earnings, their revenue is not presented in our Consolidated Statement of Operations. At December 31, 2016 , we had backlog of approximately $18.5 billion (including approximately $1.7 billion related to our equity method joint ventures). Because the revenue value reported in backlog (including our equity method joint ventures) is the remaining value associated with work that has not yet been completed, the projected value may not be realized or, if realized, may not be profitable as a result of poor contract performance.

Due to project terminations, suspensions or changes in project scope and schedule, we cannot predict with certainty when or if our backlog will be performed. From time to time, projects are canceled that appeared to have a high certainty of going forward at the time they were recorded as new awards. In the event of a project cancellation, we typically have no contractual right to the total revenue reflected in our backlog. Some of the contracts in our backlog provide for cancellation fees or certain reimbursements in the event customers cancel projects. These cancellation fees usually provide for reimbursement of our out-of-pocket costs, costs associated with work performed prior to cancellation, and to varying degrees, a percentage of the profit we would have realized had the contract been completed. Although we may be reimbursed for certain costs, we may be unable to recover all direct costs incurred and may incur additional unrecoverable costs due to the resulting under-utilization of our assets.

Our Failure to Meet Contractual Schedule or Performance Requirements Could Adversely Affect Our Revenue and Profitability.

In certain circumstances, we guarantee project completion by a scheduled date or certain performance levels. Failure to meet these schedule or performance requirements could result in a reduction of revenue and additional costs, and these adjustments could exceed projected profit. Project revenue or profit could also be reduced by liquidated damages withheld by customers under contractual penalty provisions, which can be substantial and can accrue on a daily basis. Schedule delays can result in costs exceeding our projections for a particular project. Performance problems for existing and future contracts could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those previously anticipated and could cause us to suffer damage to our reputation within our industry and our customer base.

Our Government Contracts May Be Subject to Modification or Termination, Which Could Adversely Affect Our Revenue and Profitability.

We are a provider of services to U.S. government agencies and are therefore exposed to risks associated with government contracting. Government agencies typically can terminate or modify contracts at their convenience due to budget constraints or various other reasons. As a result, our backlog may be reduced or we may incur a loss if a government agency terminates or modifies a contract with us. We are also subject to audits, including audits of our internal control systems, cost reviews and investigations by government contracting oversight agencies. As a result of an audit, the oversight agency may disallow certain costs or withhold a percentage of interim payments. Cost disallowances may result in adjustments to previously reported revenue and may require us to refund a portion of previously collected amounts. In addition, failure to comply with the terms of one or more of our government contracts or government regulations and statutes could result in us being suspended or debarred from future government projects for a significant period of time, possible civil or criminal fines and penalties, the risk of public scrutiny of our performance, and potential harm to our reputation, each of which could have an adverse effect on our business. Other remedies that government agencies may seek for improper activities or performance issues include sanctions such as forfeiture of profit and suspension of payments.

In addition to the risks noted above, legislatures typically appropriate funds on a year-by-year basis, while contract performance may take more than one year. As a result, contracts with government agencies may be only partially funded or may be terminated, and we may not realize all of the potential revenue and profit from those contracts. Appropriations and the timing of payment may be influenced by, among other things, the state of the economy, competing political priorities, curtailments in the use of government contracting firms, budget constraints, the timing and amount of tax receipts and the overall level of government expenditures.

We Are Exposed to Potential Risks and Uncertainties Associated With Our Use of Partnering Arrangements and Our Subcontracting and Vendor Partner Arrangements to Execute Certain Projects.

In the ordinary course of business, we execute specific projects and conduct certain operations through joint venture, consortium and other collaborative arrangements (collectively referred to as “venture(s)”). We have various ownership interests in these ventures, with such ownership typically proportionate to our decision making and distribution rights. The ventures generally contract directly with the third party customer; however, services may be performed directly by the ventures, or may be performed by us, our partners, or a combination thereof.

The use of these ventures exposes us to a number of risks, including the risk that our partners may be unable or unwilling to provide their share of capital investment to fund the operations of the venture or complete their obligations to us, the venture, or ultimately, our customer. Differences in opinions or views among venture partners could also result in delayed decision-making or failure to agree on material issues, which could adversely affect the business and operations of the venture. In addition, agreement terms may subject us to joint and several liability for our venture partners, and the failure of our venture partners to perform their obligations could impose additional performance and financial obligations on us. The aforementioned factors could result in unanticipated costs to complete the projects, liquidated damages or contract disputes, including claims against our partners, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

Additionally, we rely on third party partners, equipment manufacturers and subcontractors to assist in the completion of our projects. To the extent these parties cannot execute their portion of the work and are unable to deliver their services, equipment or materials according to the contractual terms, or to the extent we cannot engage subcontractors or acquire equipment or materials, our ability to complete a project in a timely manner may be impacted. If the amount we are required to pay for these goods and services exceeds the amount we have included in the estimates for our work, we could experience project losses or a reduction in estimated profit.

In both the private and public sectors, either acting as a prime contractor, a subcontractor or as a member of a venture, we may join with other firms to form a team to compete for a single contract. Because a team can often offer stronger combined qualifications than any stand-alone company, these teaming arrangements can be very important to the success of a particular contract bid process or proposal. This can be particularly true for larger projects and in geographies in which bidding success

can be substantially impacted by the presence and quality of a local partner. The failure to maintain such relationships in both foreign and domestic markets may impact our ability to win additional work.

Intense Competition in the Markets We Serve Could Reduce Our Market Share and Earnings.

The energy, petrochemical, natural resource, power and government services markets we serve are highly competitive markets in which a large number of regional, national and multinational companies (including, in some cases, certain of our customers) compete, and these markets require substantial resources and capital investment in equipment, technology and skilled personnel. Competition also places downward pressure on our contract prices and margins. Intense competition is expected to continue in these markets, presenting us with significant challenges in our ability to maintain strong growth rates and acceptable margins. If we are unable to meet these competitive challenges, we could lose market share to our competitors and experience an overall reduction in our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

Our Revenue and Profitability May Be Adversely Affected by a Reduced Level of Activity in the Hydrocarbon Industry.

In recent years, demand from the worldwide hydrocarbon industry has been the largest generator of our revenue. Numerous factors influence capital expenditure decisions in the hydrocarbon industry, including, but not limited to, the following:

The aforementioned factors are beyond our control and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

If the U.S. Were to Revoke or Limit the DOE’s Loan Guarantee Program (“LGP”), it Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Results of Operations, Financial Position and Cash Flow.

Some of our customers may rely on the DOE’s LGP, under which the DOE issues loan guarantees to eligible projects that “avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases” and “employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to technologies in service in the U.S. at the time the guarantee is issued.” If the U.S. government were to revoke or limit the DOE’s LGP, it could make obtaining funding more difficult for many of our customers, which could inhibit their ability to take on new projects and have an adverse effect our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

We May be Exposed to Additional Risks as We Obtain New Significant Awards and Execute Our Backlog, Including Greater Backlog Concentration in Fewer Projects, Potential Cost Overruns and Increasing Requirements for Letters of Credit, Each of Which Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Future Results of Operations, Financial Position and Cash Flow.

As we obtain new significant project awards and convert the backlog into revenue, these projects may use larger sums of working capital than other projects and will be concentrated among a smaller number of customers. If any significant projects currently included in our backlog or awarded in the future were to have material cost overruns, or are significantly delayed, modified or canceled, and we are unable to replace the projects in backlog, our results of operations, financial position and cash flow could be adversely impacted.

Additionally, as we convert our significant projects from backlog into active construction, we may face significantly greater requirements for the provision of letters of credit or other forms of credit enhancements. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to access such capital and credit as needed or that we would be able to do so on economically attractive terms.

Our Customers’ and Our Partners’ Ability to Receive the Applicable Regulatory and Environmental Approvals for Our Power Projects and the Timeliness of Those Approvals Could Adversely Affect Us.

The regulatory permitting process for our power projects requires significant investments of time and money by our customers and sometimes by us and our partners. There are no assurances that we or our customers will obtain the necessary permits for these projects. Applications for permits to operate these power projects, including air emissions permits, may be opposed by government entities, individuals or environmental groups, resulting in delays and possible non-issuance of the permits.

Volatility in the Equity and Credit Markets Could Adversely Impact Us Due to Factors Affecting the Availability of Funding for Our Customers, Availability of Our Lending Facilities and Non-Compliance with Our Financial and Restrictive Lending Covenants.

Some of our customers, suppliers and subcontractors have traditionally accessed commercial financing and capital markets, as well as government backed export credit agency support to fund their operations or projects, and the availability of funding from those sources could be adversely impacted by a volatile equity or credit markets. The availability of lending facilities and our ability to remain in compliance with our financial and restrictive lending covenants could also be impacted by circumstances or conditions beyond our control, including but not limited to, the delay or cancellation of projects, decreased profitability on our projects, changes in currency exchange or interest rates, performance of pension plan assets, or changes in actuarial assumptions. Further, we could be impacted if our customers experience a material change in their ability to pay us, or if the banks associated with our lending facilities were to cease or reduce operations, or if there is a full or partial break-up of the European Union (the “EU”) or its currency, the Euro.

Demand for Our Products and Services is Cyclical and Vulnerable to Economic Downturns and Reductions in Private Industry and Government Spending.

The hydrocarbon refining, petrochemical, and natural gas industries we serve historically have been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general downturns in the domestic and international economies. Many of our customers may face budget shortfalls or may delay capital spending resulting in a decrease in the overall demand for our services. A decrease in federal, state and local tax revenue as well as other economic declines may result in lower government spending. Further, our customers may demand better pricing terms and their ability to pay timely may be affected by an ongoing weak economy. Portions of our business traditionally lag recovery in the economy; therefore, our business may not recover immediately upon any economic improvement. The aforementioned could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

Our New Awards and Liquidity May Be Adversely Affected by Bonding and Letter of Credit Capacity.

A portion of our new awards requires the support of bid and performance surety bonds or letters of credit, as well as advance payment and retention bonds. Our primary use of surety bonds is to support water and wastewater treatment and standard tank projects in the U.S., while letters of credit are generally used to support other projects. A restriction, reduction, or termination of our surety bond agreements could limit our ability to bid on new project opportunities, thereby limiting our new awards, or increasing our letter of credit utilization in lieu of bonds, thereby reducing availability under our credit facilities. A restriction, reduction or termination of our letter of credit facilities could also limit our ability to bid on new project opportunities or could significantly change the timing of project cash flow, resulting in increased borrowing needs.

We are Vulnerable to Significant Fluctuations in Our Liquidity That May Vary Substantially Over Time.

Our operations could require us to utilize large sums of working capital, sometimes on short notice and sometimes without assurance of recovery of the expenditures. Circumstances or events that could create large cash outflows include increased costs or losses resulting from fixed-price or hybrid contracts, inability to achieve contractual billing or payment milestones, inability to recover unapproved change orders or claims, environmental liabilities, litigation risks, unexpected costs or losses resulting from previous acquisitions, contract initiation or completion delays, political conditions, customer payment problems, foreign exchange risks and professional and product liability claims.

Non-Compliance With Covenants in Our Financing Arrangements, Without Waiver or Amendment From the Lenders or Note Holders, Could Require Cash Collateral For Outstanding Letters of Credit, Could Adversely Affect Our Ability to Borrow Funds and Could Ultimately Require Us to Repay the Debt Earlier Than Expected.

At December 31, 2016 , we had total debt of $2.2 billion , including $800.0 million of term loan borrowings, $1.0 billion in senior notes, and $407.5 million of revolving facility borrowings. Our financing arrangements contain certain financial covenants, including a maximum leverage ratio, a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio and a minimum net worth level, and other covenants with which we must comply. We may not be able to satisfy these ratios or comply with the other covenants if our results of operations, financial position and cash flow deteriorate as a result of, but not limited to, an adverse impact from

our other risk factors. These covenants may restrict our ability to obtain additional financing without incurring substantial financing costs, or at all.

We May be Required to Contribute Cash to Meet Our Underfunded Pension Obligations in Certain Multi-Employer Pension Plans.

We participate in various multi-employer pension plans in the U.S. and Canada under union and industry agreements that generally provide defined benefits to employees covered by collective bargaining agreements. Absent an applicable exemption, a contributor to a multi-employer plan is liable, upon termination or withdrawal from a plan, for its proportionate share of the plan’s underfunded vested liability. Funding requirements for benefit obligations of our pension plans are subject to certain regulatory requirements and we may be required to make cash contributions which may be material to one or more of these plans to satisfy certain underfunded benefit obligations.

Our Projects Expose Us to Potential Professional Liability, Product Liability, Warranty or Other Claims.

We engineer, procure, construct and provide services (including pipe, steel, and large structures fabrication) for large industrial facilities in which system failure can be disastrous. We may also be subject to claims resulting from the subsequent operations of facilities we have installed. Under some of our contracts, we must use customer-specified metals or processes for producing or fabricating pipe for our customers. The failure of any of these metals or processes could result in warranty claims against us for significant replacement or rework costs, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

In addition, our operations are subject to the usual hazards inherent in providing engineering and construction services, such as the risk of accidents, fires and explosions. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, business interruptions, property damage, and pollution and environmental damage. We may be subject to claims as a result of these hazards.

Although we generally do not accept liability for consequential damages in our contracts, should we be determined liable, we may not be covered by insurance or, if covered, the dollar amount of these liabilities may exceed our policy limits. Any catastrophic occurrence in excess of insurance limits at project sites where our structures are installed or on projects for which services are performed could result in significant professional liability, product liability, warranty or other claims against us. Any damages not covered by our insurance, in excess of our insurance limits or, if covered by insurance subject to a high deductible, could result in a significant loss for us, which may reduce our profits and cash available for operations. These claims could also make it difficult for us to obtain adequate insurance coverage in the future at a reasonable cost.

Additionally, customers or subcontractors that have agreed to indemnify us against such losses may refuse or be unable to pay us. A partially or completely uninsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could result in an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

We Could Be Adversely Affected by Violations of the FCPA, Similar Worldwide Anti-Bribery Laws, and Various International Trade and Export Laws.

The international nature of our business creates various domestic and local regulatory challenges. The FCPA and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from offering anything of value to government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, directing business to a particular person or legal entity or obtaining an unfair advantage. Our policies mandate compliance with these anti-bribery laws. We operate in many parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree and, in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices. We train our employees concerning anti-bribery laws and issues, and we also inform our partners, subcontractors, and third parties who work for us or on our behalf that they must comply with anti-bribery law requirements. We also have procedures and controls in place to monitor internal and external compliance. Allegations of violations of anti-bribery laws, including the FCPA, may also result in internal, independent or governmental investigations. Additionally, our global operations include the import and export of goods and technologies across international borders, which requires a robust compliance program. We cannot assure that our internal controls and procedures will always protect us from the reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees, partners or third parties working for us or on our behalf. If we are found to be liable for anti-bribery law violations or other regulatory violations (either due to our own acts or our inadvertence, or due to the acts or inadvertence of others), we could suffer from criminal or civil penalties or other sanctions, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

We May Experience Increased Costs and Decreased Cash Flow Due to Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations, Liability for Contamination of the Environment or Related Personal Injuries.

General —We are subject to environmental laws and regulations, including those concerning emissions into the air; nuclear material; discharge into waterways; generation, storage, handling, treatment and disposal of waste materials; and health and safety.

Our business often involves working around and with volatile, toxic and hazardous substances and other highly-regulated pollutants, substances or wastes, for which the improper characterization, handling or disposal could constitute violations of U.S. federal, state or local laws and regulations and laws of other countries, and result in criminal and civil liabilities. Environmental laws and regulations generally impose limitations and standards for certain pollutants or waste materials and require us to obtain permits and comply with various other requirements. Governmental authorities may seek to impose fines and penalties on us, or revoke or deny issuance or renewal of operating permits for failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations. We are also exposed to potential liability for personal injury or property damage caused by any release, spill, exposure or other accident involving such pollutants, substances or wastes. Furthermore, we provide certain environmental remediation services.

We may incur liabilities that may not be covered by insurance policies, or, if covered, the financial amount of such liabilities may exceed our policy limits or fall within applicable deductible or retention limits. A partially or completely uninsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could cause us to suffer a significant loss and reduce cash available for our operations.

The environmental, health and safety laws and regulations to which we are subject are constantly changing, and it is impossible to predict the impact of such laws and regulations on us in the future. We cannot ensure that our operations will continue to comply with future laws and regulations or that these laws and regulations will not cause us to incur significant costs or adopt more costly methods of operation. Additionally, the adoption and implementation of any new regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from, our customers’ equipment and operations could significantly impact demand for our services, particularly among our customers for coal and gas-fired generation facilities as well as our customers in the petrochemicals business. Any significant reduction in demand for our services as a result of the adoption of these or similar proposals could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

In connection with the historical operation of our facilities, including those associated with acquired operations, substances which currently are or might be considered hazardous were used or disposed of at some sites that will or may require us to make expenditures for remediation. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify parties from whom we have purchased or to whom we have sold facilities for certain environmental liabilities arising from acts occurring before the dates those facilities were transferred.

Nuclear Maintenance —We are subject to regulations from a number of entities, including the applicable U.S. regulatory bodies, such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and non-U.S. regulatory bodies, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (the “IAEA”) and the EU. Regulations include, among other things: systems for nuclear material safeguards implemented by the IAEA and the EU; global-scale agreements on nuclear safety such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management; the Euratom Treaty, which has created uniform safety standards aimed at protecting the public and workers and passed rules governing the transportation of radioactive waste; and additional general regulations for licensed nuclear facilities, including strict inspection procedures and regulations governing the maintenance, shutdown and dismantling of nuclear facilities and the disposal of nuclear wastes. Failure to maintain sufficient compliance programs for these regulations, or other problems encountered during maintenance work, could significantly increase our costs and have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

We Are and Will Continue to Be Involved in Litigation Including Litigation Related to Hazardous Substances that Could Negatively Impact Our Earnings and Liquidity.

We have been and may from time to time be named as a defendant in legal actions claiming damages in connection with engineering and construction projects, technology licenses, other services we provide, and other matters. These are typically claims that arise in the normal course of business, including employment-related claims and contractual disputes or claims for personal injury or property damage which occur in connection with services performed relating to project or construction sites. Contractual disputes normally involve claims relating to the timely completion of projects, performance of equipment or technologies, design or other engineering services or project construction services provided by us. While we do not believe that any of our pending contractual, employment-related, personal injury or property damage claims and disputes could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow, there can be no assurance that this will be the case.

In addition, we are from time to time involved in various litigation and other matters related to hazardous substances encountered in our business. In particular, the numerous operating hazards inherent in our business increase the risk of toxic tort litigation relating to any and all consequences arising out of human exposure to hazardous substances, including without limitation, current or past claims involving asbestos-related materials, formaldehyde, Cesium 137 (radiation), mercury and other hazardous substances, or related environmental damage. As a result, we are subject to potentially material liabilities related to personal injuries or property damages that may be caused by hazardous substance releases and exposures. The outcome of such litigation is inherently uncertain and adverse developments or outcomes can result in significant monetary

damages, penalties, other sanctions or injunctive relief against us, limitations on our property rights, or regulatory interpretations that increase our operating costs. If any of these disputes result in a substantial monetary judgment against us or an adverse legal interpretation is settled on unfavorable terms, or otherwise affects our operations, it could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.

Uncertainty in Enforcing U.S. Judgments Against Netherlands Corporations, Directors and Others Could Create Difficulties for Our Shareholders in Enforcing Any Judgments Obtained Against Us.

We are a Netherlands company and a significant portion of our assets are located outside of the U.S. In addition, certain members of our management and supervisory boards may be residents of countries other than the U.S. As a result, effecting service of process on such persons may be difficult, and judgments of U.S. courts, including judgments against us or members of our management or supervisory boards predicated on the civil liability provisions of the federal or state securities laws of the U.S., may be difficult to enforce.

Certain Provisions of Our Articles of Association and Netherlands Law May Have Possible Anti-Takeover Effects.

Our Articles of Association and the applicable law of The Netherlands contain provisions that may be deemed to have anti-takeover effects. Among other things, these provisions provide for a staggered board of Supervisory Directors, a binding nomination process and supermajority shareholder voting requirements for certain significant transactions. Such provisions may delay, defer or prevent takeover attempts that shareholders might consider in their best interests. In addition, certain U.S. tax laws, including those relating to possible classification as a “controlled foreign corporation” (described below), may discourage third parties from accumulating significant blocks of our common shares.

We Have a Risk of Being Classified as a Controlled Foreign Corporation and Certain Shareholders Who Do Not Beneficially Own Shares May Lose the Benefit of Withholding Tax Reduction or Exemption Under Dutch Legislation.

As a company incorporated in The Netherlands, we would be classified as a controlled foreign corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if any U.S. person acquires 10% or more of our common shares (including ownership through the attribution rules of Section 958 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), each such person, a “U.S. 10% Shareholder”) and the sum of the percentage ownership by all U.S. 10% Shareholders exceeds 50% (by voting power or value) of our common shares. We do not believe we are currently a controlled foreign corporation; however, we may be determined to be a controlled foreign corporation in the future. In the event that such a determination is made, all U.S. 10% Shareholders would be subject to taxation under Subpart F of the Code. The ultimate consequences of this determination are fact-specific to each U.S. 10% Shareholder, but could include possible taxation of such U.S. 10% Shareholder on a pro-rata portion of our income, even in the absence of any distribution of such income.

Under the double taxation convention in effect between The Netherlands and the U.S. (the “Treaty”), dividends we pay to certain U.S. corporate shareholders owning at least 10% of our voting power are generally eligible for a reduction of the 15% Netherlands withholding tax to 5%, unless the common shares held by such residents are attributable to a business or part of a business that is, in whole or in part, carried on through a permanent establishment or a permanent representative in The Netherlands. Dividends received by exempt pension organizations and exempt organizations, as defined in the Treaty, are completely exempt from the withholding tax. A holder of common shares other than an individual will not be eligible for the benefits of the Treaty if such holder of common shares does not satisfy one or more of the tests set forth in the limitation on benefits provisions of Article 26 of the Treaty. According to an anti-dividend stripping provision, no exemption from, reduction of, or refund of, Netherlands withholding tax will be granted if the ultimate recipient of a dividend paid by us is not considered to be the beneficial owner of such dividend. The ability of a holder of common shares to take a credit against its U.S. taxable income for Netherlands withholding tax may be limited.

Political and Economic Conditions, Including War, Conflict or Economic Turmoil in Non-U.S. Countries in Which We or Our Customers Operate, Could Adversely Affect Us.

A significant number of our projects are performed or located outside the U.S., including projects in developing countries with economic conditions and political and legal systems, and associated instability risks, that are significantly different from those found in the U.S. We expect non-U.S. sales and operations to continue to contribute materially to our earnings for the foreseeable future. Non-U.S. contracts and operations expose us to risks inherent in doing business outside the U.S., including but not limited to the following:

We Are Exposed to Possible Losses from Foreign Currency Exchange Rates.

We are exposed to market risk associated with changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates arises primarily from receivables, payables, and firm and forecasted commitments associated with foreign transactions. We may incur losses from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations if we are unable to convert foreign currency in a timely fashion. We seek to minimize the risks from these foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations primarily through a combination of contracting methodology (including escalation provisions for projects in inflationary economies) and, when deemed appropriate, the use of foreign currency exchange rate derivatives. In circumstances where we utilize derivatives, our results of operations might be negatively impacted if the underlying transactions occur at different times, or in different amounts, than originally anticipated, or if the counterparties to our contracts fail to perform. In addition, our entities with functional currencies other than our reporting currency of the U.S. Dollar are translated to the U.S. Dollar for reporting purposes. As a result, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations could have a significant impact on our revenue and earnings. We do not hold, issue, or use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

If We Are Unable to Attract, Retain and Motivate Key Personnel, Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected.

Our future success depends upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly-skilled personnel in various areas, including engineering, skilled laborers and craftsmen, project management, procurement, project controls, finance and senior management. If we do not succeed in retaining our current employees and attracting new high quality employees, our business could be adversely affected.

Work Stoppages, Union Negotiations and Other Labor Problems Could Adversely Affect Us.

A portion of our employees are represented by labor unions. A lengthy strike or other work stoppage at any of our facilities could have an adverse effect on us. There is inherent risk that on-going or future negotiations relating to collective bargaining agreements or union representation may not be favorable to us. From time to time, we also have experienced attempts to unionize our non-union shops. Such efforts can often disrupt or delay work and present risk of labor unrest.

Our Employees Work on Projects That are Inherently Dangerous and a Failure to Maintain a Safe Work Site Could Result in Significant Losses.

Safety is a primary focus of our business and is critical to all of our stakeholders, including our employees, customers and shareholders, and our reputation; however, we often work on large-scale and complex projects, frequently in geographically remote locations. Our project sites can place our employees and others near large equipment, dangerous processes or highly-regulated materials, and in challenging environments. If we fail to implement appropriate safety procedures or if our procedures fail, our employees or others may suffer injuries. Often, we are responsible for safety on the project sites where we work. Many of our customers require that we meet certain safety criteria to be eligible to bid on contracts, and some of our contract fees or profits are subject to satisfying safety criteria. Unsafe work conditions also have the potential of increasing employee turnover, increasing project costs and raising our operating costs. Although we maintain functional groups whose primary purpose is to implement effective health, safety and environmental procedures throughout our company, the failure to comply with such procedures, customer contracts or applicable regulations could subject us to losses and liability.

Any Previous or Prospective Acquisitions Could Be Difficult to Integrate, Disrupt Our Business, Dilute Shareholder Value and Harm Our Operating Results.

We have made acquisitions and may continue to pursue additional growth through the opportunistic and strategic acquisition of companies, assets or technologies that will enable us to broaden the types of services and technologies we provide and to expand into new markets. Our opportunity to grow through prospective acquisitions may be limited if we cannot identify suitable companies or assets or reach agreement on potential acquisitions on acceptable terms or for other reasons. Our previous or prospective acquisitions may be subject to a variety of risks, including, but not limited to, the following:

Realization of one or more of these risks could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flow. Moreover, to the extent an acquisition financed by non-equity consideration results in additional goodwill, it will reduce our tangible net worth, which might have an adverse effect on our credit and bonding capacity.

If We Fail to Meet Expectations of Securities Analysts or Investors due to Fluctuations in Our Revenue, Operating Results or Cash Flows, Our Stock Price Could Decline Significantly.

Our revenue, operating results and cash flows may fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including the timing of or failure to obtain projects, delays in awards of projects, cancellations of projects, delays in the completion of projects, changes in estimated costs to complete projects, performance of significant amounts of work prior to receipt of payment, or the timing of approvals of change orders with, or recoveries of claims against, our customers. It is likely that in some future quarters our operating results or cash flows may fall below the expectations of securities analysts or investors. In this event, the trading price of our common stock could decline significantly.

Our Sale or Issuance of Additional Common Shares Could Dilute Each Shareholder’s Share Ownership.

Part of our business strategy is to expand into new markets and enhance our position in existing markets throughout the world through the strategic and opportunistic acquisition of complementary businesses. In order to successfully complete future acquisitions or fund our other activities, we may issue equity securities that could dilute our earnings per share and each shareholder’s share ownership.

We Cannot Provide Assurance That We Will Be Able to Continue Paying Dividends at the Current Rate.

We have declared and paid quarterly cash dividends on our common stock; however, there can be no assurance that future dividends or distributions will be declared or paid. The payment of dividends or distributions in the future will be subject to the discretion of our shareholders (in the case of annual dividends), our Management Board and our Supervisory Board. Our Management Board and Supervisory Board will periodically evaluate our ability to pay dividends in the future based upon relevant factors, which include:

Our Goodwill and Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets Could Become Impaired and Result in Future Charges to Earnings.

Goodwill —Our goodwill balance represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired as part of previous acquisitions. Net assets acquired include identifiable finite-lived intangible assets that were recorded at fair value based upon expected future recovery of the underlying assets.

At December 31, 2016 , our goodwill balance was $3.0 billion and was distributed among our four operating groups as follows: Engineering & Construction - $1.9 billion , Fabrication Services - $665.7 million , Technology - $297.9 million and Capital Services - $229.6 million . Goodwill is not amortized to earnings, but instead is reviewed for impairment at least annually at a reporting unit level, absent any indicators of impairment or when other actions require an impairment assessment (such as a change in reporting units). We perform our annual impairment assessment during the fourth quarter of each year based upon balances as of October 1. We identify a potential impairment by comparing the fair value of the applicable reporting unit to its net book value, including goodwill. If the net book value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, an indication of potential impairment exists, and we measure the impairment by comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to its implied fair value. To determine the fair value of our reporting units and test for impairment, we utilize an income approach (discounted cash flow method) as we believe this is the most direct approach to incorporate the specific economic attributes and risk profiles of our reporting units into our valuation model. This is consistent with the methodology used to determine the fair value of our reporting units in previous years. We generally do not utilize a market approach given the lack of relevant

information generated by market transactions involving comparable businesses. However, to the extent market indicators of fair value become available, we consider such market indicators in our discounted cash flow analysis and determination of fair value. The discounted cash flow methodology is based, to a large extent, on assumptions about future events, which may or may not occur as anticipated, and such deviations could have a significant impact on the calculated estimated fair values of our reporting units. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, estimates of discount rates, future growth rates, and terminal values for each reporting unit.

During 2016 we performed various quantitative assessments of goodwill in connection with the third quarter integration and operational combination of the reporting units within our Fabrication Services operating group and in connection with our annual fourth quarter impairment assessment. As a result of our fourth quarter annual impairment assessment, we recorded a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $655.0 million related to the partial impairment of goodwill for our Capital Services operating group. No other impairment charges were necessary as a result of the changes in our reporting units or our annual assessment. If we were to experience a significant and prolonged deterioration of our market capitalization, it may indicate a decline in the fair value of our reporting units and result in the need to perform an interim quantitative impairment assessment. If, based on future assessments our goodwill is deemed to be impaired, the impairment would result in a charge to earnings in the period of impairment with a resulting decrease in our net worth.

See “Critical Accounting Estimates” section of Item 7 for discussion regarding the amount by which the estimated fair values of each of our reporting units exceeded their respective net book values, and additional discussion regarding the determination of the estimated fair values for certain reporting units.

Other Intangible Assets —At December 31, 2016 , our finite-lived intangible assets were $367.8 million . We amortize our finite-lived intangible assets on a straight-line basis with lives ranging from 4 to 20 years, absent any indicators of impairment. We review finite-lived intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If a recoverability assessment is required, the estimated future cash flow associated with the asset or asset group will be compared to the asset’s carrying amount to determine if an impairment exists. We noted no impairment during 2016; however, if our other intangible assets are determined to be impaired in the future, the impairment would result in a charge to earnings in the year of the impairment with a resulting decrease in our net worth.

We Rely on Our Information Systems to Conduct Our Business, and Failure to Protect These Systems Against Security Breaches Could Adversely Affect Our Business and Results of Operations. Additionally, if These Systems Fail or Become Unavailable for Any Significant Period of Time, Our Business Could be Harmed.

The efficient operation of our business is dependent on computer hardware and software systems. Information systems are vulnerable to security breaches, and we rely on industry-accepted security measures and technology to securely maintain confidential and proprietary information maintained on our information systems. However, these measures and technology may not adequately prevent security breaches. In addition, the unavailability of the information systems or the failure of these systems to perform as anticipated for any reason could disrupt our business and could result in decreased performance and increased costs, causing our business and results of operations to suffer. Any significant interruption or failure of our information systems or any significant breach of security could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

If We are Unable to Enforce Our Intellectual Property Rights or if Our Technology Becomes Obsolete, Our Competitive Position Could be Adversely Impacted.

We believe that we are an industry leader by owning or having access to our technologies. We protect our technology positions through patent registrations, license restrictions and a research and development program. We may not be able to successfully preserve our intellectual property rights in the future, as these rights could be invalidated, circumvented or challenged. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries in which our services may be sold do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as U.S. law. Because we license technologies from third parties, there is a risk that our relationships with licensors may terminate or expire or may be interrupted or harmed. If we are unable to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights, or if there are any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us, our ability to differentiate our service offerings could be reduced. Finally, there is nothing to prevent our competitors from independently attempting to develop or obtain access to technologies that are similar or superior to our technologies.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.