Breaking New Ground

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, this extraordinary company was founded by a person called 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. In the space of one and a half century, marine contracting developed from a handicraft utilizing wheelbarrows and shovels into a knowledge-intensive sector using advanced equipment. In this compelling and beautifully illustrated book based on exhaustive study, Joke Korteweg paints the exciting story of a quintessentially Dutch sector that has always played a prominent role in the history of the Netherlands. Joke Korteweg is a maritime historian. Previously, she published Kaperbloed en koopmansgeest, 70 years of IHC Merwede and Nederlandse scheepsbouw.