Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85684
reporter | by EW Staff Built in AmericaLouisiana storm surge barrier takes top global honors he Lake Borgne Surge Barrier, a two-mile- long, 26-foot-tall concrete and steel bulkwark against hurricanes and fl oodwaters, has been named the world's most outstanding engineering achievement for 2012. T Built in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the $1.1 billion barrier's pri- mary designer was a joint venture between Ben C. Gerwick, Inc., and INCA (now Tetra Tech INCA). It moves New Orleans' fi rst line of defense against catastrophic storms more than 12 miles out from downtown, and is considered a model for fl oodgate and fl oodwall design worldwide. The competition is sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies and recognized 147 engineering achievements throughout the world. Vermeer rock drill honored A system that uses rapidly rotating magnets of alternating polarity within the carriage assembly, generating a high frequency percus- sive action to fracture and bore through though formations, gained the notice of North American Trenchless Technol- ogy judges. Vermeer's D36x50R Series II Navigator HDD, equipped with the MAGnum rock drilling system, won the organization's Joseph L. Abbott Jr. In- novative Product Award. The hammer technology was developed in collabora- tion with FlexiDRILL, a New Zealand- based engineering company. The MAGnum system can be disengaged by the fl ip of a switch, allowing the unit to convert into a traditional drill. EquipmentWorld.com | June 2012 11