Title: Breaking new ground
Description: The world-famous Palm Islands in Dubai, the New Afsluitdijk, the Zuiderzee Works, the Delta Works: the dredging and offshore company Van Oord is the key player in all these gigantic projects. The company specialises in the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways around the world. Other major activities include coastal protection and construction at sea, such as the installation of pipelines and wind parks. Through take-overs and mergers, Van Oord became a world leader in the industry and its history became the history of Dutch marine engineering. A hundred and fifty years ago, the company was founded by Govert van Oord, an independent trader in osier and other wood products from the Biesbosch. In this period, contractors constructed the Nieuwe Waterweg and the North Sea Canal, deepened the rivers and undid them of inconvenient bends. Marine contracting developed from a handicraft utilizing wheelbarrows and shovels into a knowledge-intensive sector using advanced equipment. In this illustrated book based on exhaustive study, maritime historian Joke Korteweg paints the exciting story of a quintessentially Dutch sector that has always played a prominent role in the history of the Netherlands.
Subjects: History, Dredging industry, Van Oord Groep nv
Places: Netherlands