CRA awards celebration raises £2,300 for CRASH charity

The Concrete Repair Association (CRA)’s 2023 Awards on 6 October in Liverpool have raised £2,300 for construction charity CRASH. 

With the effects of the COVID pandemic still being felt by many members, the CRA decided to meet the cost of member attendance and donate the amount normally raised by ticket sales to the charity. Donations from members on the night boosted the fundraising total further.

This year's CRA Awards featured new categories to reward industry excellence, including awards for members of fellow Structural Concrete Alliance organizations the Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA), and the Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA).

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.

The CRA’s ‘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.

Recognizing 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.

A new category for 2023, the CRA chair’s ‘Innovation Award’, went to Shotcrete Services for its Ecoshot Innovation project, which pushed the boundaries of sprayed concrete with a high-performance product yielding a 53% reduction in embodied carbon.

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.

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.

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.”

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. 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.

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.