Established in 1971, the Awards for Excellence in Concrete recognise and publicise the many significant contributions to excellence in concrete design, construction and materials in Australia.
Concrete related projects, technologies and innovations are all eligible to receive an award. The Institute’s Awards program caters for both large and small projects, as well as large and small organisations.
For full details on the Awards for Excellence in Concrete, you can download the 2023 Entry Guidelines & Conditions for guidance.
Entries for the 2025 Awards for Excellence in Concrete program will open on 1 September 2024.
The Submission Process
The entry process provides opportunity to input all the information that is required for the judges to assess each entry, including the entrant’s contact details, the entry description, specific information related to the various judging criteria, and supporting information and photographs which can be uploaded.
An entry fee must be paid for each submission. You can submit more than one entry but must pay an entry fee for each submission.
Categories
The five categories of entries for the Awards program are:
Residential Buildings
This category includes single dwellings or multi-story dwellings used for residential purposes only, with the condition that these projects are up to eleven stories. Entries highlight the use of concrete as an architectural and structural material, perfectly adept for residential use.
Commercial Buildings
This category includes projects such as offices, industrial buildings, institutional buildings, large residential complexes, or combinations of these. Entries include large scale office towers, distribution centres and university structures; demonstrating the versatility of concrete as a construction material.
Infrastructure Projects
This category includes buildings such as schools and hospitals and encapsulates engineering infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, wharfs, public amenities and water resources. Entries included in this section are stellar examples of how concrete has contributed to communities and built environments.
Repairs, Restoration & Retrofitting
This category includes remedial works applied to both existing buildings and infrastructure and demonstrate creativity in how concrete is applied to increase a structures service or design life.
Technology & Innovation
This category includes significant contributions to the understanding or use of concrete as evidenced by research, technical publications, patent applications, new products or pieces of equipment, new techniques, design innovations, or educational activity. Concrete technology and its innovative application plays true to the Institute’s mission statement – excellence in concrete.
Awards
Awards are granted at two levels – State and National.
State Awards: All entries are judged in groups based on the state in which they are completed, and winners will be awarded with an Award for Excellence in Concrete. More than one award may be granted in each category.
National Awards: Winners of Awards for Excellence from each state will be judged in their separate categories for an overall category winner. The winner will receive a Medallion for Excellence in Concrete. From those entries, one will be judged to receive the Kevin Cavanagh Trophy for Excellence in Concrete.
The National Awards will be presented at the Gala Dinner at Concrete 2025 in Adelaide on 9 September 2025 as part of the Institute’s 32nd biennial conference.
The Kevin Cavanagh Trophy
In 1991 the Council established the Kevin Cavanagh Medal for Excellence in Concrete, in honour of one of the Institute’s founding fathers and long-time servant of the concrete industry. It was introduced to recognise an overall winner in the pursuit of excellence in concrete, in 2017 this was replaced by the Kevin Cavanagh Trophy, and continues to recognise this vision.
The Kevin Cavanagh Trophy for Excellence in Concrete is a prestigious industry award, which is granted to the overall winner judged form all categories on the basis of being an outstanding contribution to the quality of concrete construction in Australia, clearly demonstrating an outstanding level of excellence above all other entries.
Winners of the Kevin Cavanagh Trophy
2023 Quay Quarter Tower
BG&E, Multiplex, AMP Capital Design and 3XN Architects
2021 Chau Chak Wing Museum
FDC Construction, JPW, Northrop and Mahaffey Associates
2019 Anzac Memorial Centenary Project
Taylor Thomson Whitting
2017 The Song School
J Woodside Consulting, SA Precast and Palassis Architects
2013 Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum
Cox Rayner Architects
2011 Gateway Upgrade Project
Leighton Abigroup Joint Venture
2009 National Portrait Gallery
Arup, Johnson Pilton Walker Architects and John Holland
2007 Sea Cliff Bridge on Lawrence Hargrave Drive
Lawrence Hargrave Drive Alliance
2003 2.N.D House, Cape Schanck
Steven Jolson Architect
2001 The Scientia – University of NSW
MGT Architects
1999 Airport Line Soft Group Tunnel
Transfield Bouygues Joint Venture
1997 Wandoo Oilfield Development
Wandoo Alliance
1991 Immersed Tube Units – Sydney Harbour Tunnel
Transfield Construction
Awards Partners
As a key event on the construction and engineering industry calendar, the Awards program allows partners to profile their company amongst some of the most influential organisations and most innovative individuals.
Opportunities to Partner include:
- Program Partner
- Category Partner
If you are interested in being involved in the Awards for Excellence in Concrete program 2025 as a Partner, you can find out more by reviewing the 2023 Partnership Prospectus below. The Partnership Prospectus for 2025, will be released in mid 2024.