CRA awards celebration raises £2300 for CRASH charity
Following our 2023 Awards event on 6 October in Liverpool, we’re delighted to share that the CRA raised £2300 for construction charity CRASH. Following recent years dominated by the pandemic, we decided to meet the cost of member attendance and donate the amount normally raised by ticket sales to the charity, with donations from members on the night boosting the fundraising total.
Francesca Roberts CEO of CRASH, receives our fundraising cheque © Katrina Duffey
New categories for 2023
After our AGM and a trip to the British Music Experience during the day, we were ready to celebrate! This year’s CRA Awards featured new categories to reward industry excellence, including awards for members of fellow Structural Concrete Alliance organisations the Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) and the Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA).
Project of the Year under £1M
Chris Orme of Fosroc receives the Project of the Year Award from CRA Jonathan Thurlbeck ©Katrina Duffey
The CRA Project of the Year under £1 million award went to Fosroc International for the Porthcawl Breakwater and RNLI slipway in Wales. Fosroc’s comprehensive submission showcased repair works that had to be carried out in challenging conditions in the second-highest tidal range in Europe, with working times changing every day.
Project of the Year over £1M
CRL were winners of the Large Project of the Year Award © Katrina Duffey
Our Project of the Year over £1 million award went to Concrete Repairs Limited (CRL) for its repair works to the River Dane Bridge, a 60-year-old concrete structure in Cheshire carrying the busy M6 motorway. This complex project required CRL to draw on its extensive technical knowledge, highly trained resources and management expertise in structural repairs and cathodic protection.
Emerging Talent Award
Alex Byng of VolkerLaser, winner of the Emerging Talent award © Katrina Duffey
Recognising rising stars in the industry, the CRA’s Emerging Talent Award found a deserving winner in assistant site manager Alex Byng from VolkerLaser, who stood out for his can-do attitude, dedication, drive and willingness to learn.
CRA Chair’s Innovation Award
A new category for 2023, the CRA Chair’s Innovation Award, went to Shotcrete Services Ltd for its Ecoshot Innovation project, which pushed the boundaries of sprayed concrete with a high-performance product yielding a 53% reduction in embodied carbon.
Kevin Coulman Award
The Kevin Coulman Award for services to the concrete repair industry, now in its 21st year, went to Paul Russell of Mapei in recognition of his dedication and hard work with the CRA.
CPA Project of the Year
Concrete Preservation Technologies won the CPA Project of the Year award © Katrina Duffey
The CPA’s Project of the Year was Concrete Preservation Technologies’ winning submission on RAAC wall panel corrosion investigation and management for the NHS in West Suffolk. This ground-breaking project was the first of its kind on a material that has become increasingly important to address. It has generated knowledge that will help the increasing number of buildings incorporating 1960s and 70s RAAC stock.
CPA Member Contribution Award
The CPA’s Member Contribution Award went to Dr Chris Atkins of Mott MacDonald. Unable to receive his accolade in person, his message read: “There are some amazing people doing remarkable things in concrete repair and corrosion prevention. We’ve grown a whole industry and we were sustainable before it became a thing. Nothing I’ve done would be of any use if there weren’t the consultants in the industry willing to talk to each other and learn from each other, the contractors able to build it, the materials to work with and the AGM to keep the association running.”
SCA Project of the Year
Christ Orme of Fosroc receives the SCA Project of the Year award © Katrina Duffey
In the SCA’s Project of the Year category, Fosroc International made it a double whammy with another award for its Porthcawl Breakwater and RNLI slipway.
SCA Member Contribution Award
Bill Jones receives the SCA’s Member Contribution award from Jonathan Thurlbeck © Katrina Duffey
Rounding off the presentations, the SCA Member Contribution Award, dedicated to the memory of a founding SCA contractor, Pat Quarton, was given to Bill Jones.
Judging Criteria
The 2023 judging panel comprised CRA Chair Jonathan Thurlbeck, Keith Barrow of KJB Consultancy, Trevor Box from Birmingham City Laboratories and Ian Evans MICT of the Concrete Society. They scored entries on skills and expertise, innovation, challenges, environmental and sustainability, health and safety, training and skills, industry interest and submission quality.
