Caterpillar Inc. will receive the ninth Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology on Sept. 14. The jury, which included designer Art Gensler, unanimously recommended Caterpillar for its 85 years of inventive approaches to making construction sites safer, building times faster, and its equipment more environmentally sensitive. For example, Caterpillar was the first heavy equipment company to offer GPS guidance systems as a factory option. The GPS allows for faster, more accurate, and safer digging or earthmoving.
Awarded annually by the National Building Museum, the Turner prize goes to an individual or team for invention, innovative methodology, or exceptional leadership in construction technology. An endowment created by Turner Construction provides a $25,000 cash award for each recipient. Past winners include Engineers Without Borders, Gehry Partners and Gehry Technologies, and I.M. Pei.
