Concrete Repair Association members were treated to a display of outstanding achievements at the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Dinner on 1 November, where a new range of awards was introduced to recognise the innovation, professionalism and dedication of members in 2019, both those new to the industry and those with years of experience.
Emerging Talent Award
Kristina King from Mackenzie Construction was the deserving winner of the CRA’s new Emerging Talent Award, which recognises the achievements of new entrants to the concrete repair industry.
Kristina joined Mackenzie Construction as a graduate site engineer and received the award for her natural ability which has allowed rapid career progression as new aspects were introduced to her role. Kristina’s willingness to always go the extra mile for the company has made her a true asset to the team and the nomination clearly highlighted how she is valued by Mackenzie.
She received a prize of £2,000 donated by the CRA and Mackenzie Construction received a 50% discount on their 2020 CRA membership subscription for nominating the winning individual.
Close runners up were Aiden Quinn of Flexcrete; Elizabeth Tylerfrom Concrete Repairs Limited; and Jack Firth from Balvac.
Project of the Year Awards 2019
The Concrete Repair Association Project of the Year Awards recognised projects of exceptional achievement in the repair or refurbishment of an existing structure. Each entry was considered in terms of innovation and complexity, with awards in two categories: projects under £1 million; and projects over £1 million.
Sika received the award for projects under £1 million for the Howdon SWT project – a sewage treatment plant in Tyneside. The project demonstrated how innovative materials can help facilitate the needs of a complex site, while causing minimal disruption during the refurbishment works. It also highlighted best practice for specifying and implementing a repair strategy which provides a total corrosion management system rather than a one-off repair. The judges were particularly impressed with the use of innovative materials that provided a cost effective solution for the client.
The runner up was Gunite for the University of Birmingham Staff House project. This project imposed rigid time constraints and was completed in just under five months. The judges were impressed with the organisation and planning of the project to ensure it was delivered to a high standard and within budget.
Currall Lewis & Martin Construction received the awardfor projects over £1 million for the M6 Bescot Viaduct project.The R185 Concrete Repairs and Cathodic Protection project formed an ongoing repair strategy for the Midland Links Motorway Viaducts which involved the repair of four bents, including two half-joints. Complex delivery challenges were overcome by outstanding performance coupled with a proactive, innovative and collaborative approach. The judges highlighted the project’s initiatives and the enhanced presentation of the award entry.
Sika was runner up for the Brentford Towers project. The structure’s concrete façade had become cracked and spalled in areas, leading to Hounslow Council implementing a huge and complex repairs programme. The judges were impressed with Sika’s effective concrete corrosion repair solution which ensured the challenging renovation process was completed effectively with minimal disruption to residents.
Kevin Coulman Award
The final award of the evening was the Kevin Coulman Award which recognises an individual member of the CRA who has given outstanding service either to the Association, or to the concrete repair industry as a whole. This was awarded to Mike Threadgold from Fosroc, in recognition of his work in reviewing available concrete repair qualifications and working with CiTB in developing the CRA’s new training courses.
Mike has over 30 years’ experience working in the construction industry. He is Chairman of the Structural Concrete Alliance Cross-Industry Training Group and on the Executive Committee of the Concrete Repair Association.
The AGM saw the appointment of CLM’s Ron Pinfield as the new Chair and Jonathan Thurlbeck of Remmers as Deputy Chair. Commenting on the awards, Ron stated:
“The CRA is committed to promoting and developing the practice of concrete repair and allied disciplines, as well as advancing education, technical training and health and safety matters in this specialist construction sector.
“I welcome the creation of this new range of awards to highlight the skills, innovation, professionalism and dedication of our members. I was impressed with the high quality of all the entrants and was pleased to see their work recognised at this prestigious event.”
For further information, visit www.cra.org.uk
