Concrete Society Awards Shortlist 2024 – Repair and Refurbishment

Awards season continues, and the next big event to look forward to is the Concrete Society Awards, taking place on Wednesday, 13 November, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. The Concrete Repair Association is proud to once again be the industry sponsor of the Repair and Refurbishment category, which recognises exceptional work involving the repair or refurbishment of an existing structure. The judging panel considered each entry in terms of complexity, quality of service, innovation and environmental considerations of the project.

The shortlisted projects are:

Balvac – M6 Peover Eye, Cheshire

Peover Bridge is a 3-span simply supported bridge carrying the M6 across the Peover Eye watercourse. It was showing significant deterioration of the pier crossheads, with undermining of the bearings, so an abnormal load embargo had been imposed. As Principal Contractor, Balvac undertook ECI, then carried out planned works including phased concrete repairs to the piers and supporting columns and the installation of an impressed current cathodic protection system to prevent further deterioration and restore full load-carrying capacity.

Beton Bauen – Newport Schools, Wales

Complex concrete repair work across several active primary and secondary schools in Newport required robust project management skills. Beton Bauen managed multiple sites, minimised disruption and ensured student and staff safety. Each school had unique structural issues and some were in densely populated urban areas, so a phased approach involved coordinating with local authorities for temporary road closures and designated delivery windows. Dust, noise, and debris had to be carefully managed to prevent any adverse impact on students, staff and residents.

RH Partnership Architects with Cemplas and Mapei – Saltdean Lido, East Sussex

This project restored an iconic 1930s Grade II listed building through meticulous handling of a highly complex heritage project. The original concrete walls had suffered extensive corrosion due to the coastal location and use of sea-dredged aggregate. The guiding principle was to retain and repair as much of the existing building fabric as possible and authentically replicate key components. Extensive repairs used new and sustainable concrete repair technologies to reduce future maintenance and extend the building’s lifecycle.

Good luck to all three of the shortlisted projects, which exemplify the values of the CRA.

For more information about the Concrete Society Awards 2024, visit https://www.concrete-awards.org.uk/