News

2024 Structural Concrete Student Competition winners announced

16 Aug 2024

The Concrete Centre’s annual student Structural Concrete competition has been won by Gavin Hughes, Niall McGettigan, Amy McKillen and Ellie Swaile-Blemmings from Queens University, Belfast. 

Revised version of BS 8500

05 Dec 2023

On 30 November 2023, BS 8500-1:2023 and BS 8500-2:2023 were published. This change to the standard increases the range of lower carbon concretes that can be specified. 

2nd Generation Eurocode 2

05 Dec 2023

On 30 November 2023 BSI formally published the 2nd generation Eurocode 2. The 2nd generation Eurocode 2 consists of BS EN 1992-1-1:2023 “Eurocode 2 : Design of concrete structures. General rules – rules for buildings, bridges and civil engineering structure” and BS EN 1992-1-2:2023 “Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures.

Exposed concrete grabs the eye on Stirling shortlist

04 Oct 2023

There is a clear frontrunner for concrete lovers on this year’s Stirling prize shortlist. Apparata Architects’ A House for Artists in Barking, Essex is the most overtly concrete building to make the cut since another house for an artist, 6a’s Juergen Teller Studio, in 2017.

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and concrete: the differences

14 Sep 2023

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) planks derive their structural strength from metal reinforcing bars and this reinforcement needs to be protected from water ingress. Where RAAC planks have been exposed to water over a prolonged period of time corrosion weakens the bars and hence the planks. 

Concrete and aircrete products are not susceptible to the failures being seen in RAAC products manufactured from the 1950s to the 1980s.

An insight to the updated UK Concrete Sustainable Construction Strategy 

05 Sep 2023

By launching the Concrete Industry Sustainable Construction Strategy in 2008, the concrete industry demonstrated its leadership position by setting clear targets and ambitions for the delivery of a sustainable, low-carbon-built environment in a socially, environmentally, and economically responsible manner.

2023 Structural Concrete Student Competition winners announced

21 Aug 2023

The Concrete Centre’s annual student Structural Concrete competition, sponsored by Laing O’Rourke, has been won by Mark Coughlin, Jill McIlveen, Grace Miller & Andrew Currie from Queens University, Belfast. The 2023 project is a new office building with basement car parking in a city centre in the North West of England.

‘Fresh Concrete’ - exploring new approaches to making and using concrete 

31 Jul 2023

Last week saw the final of this year’s Fresh Concrete webinars, a series designed to showcase some of the innovative practice, and new types of concrete emerging to address climate mitigation and adaptation.  

The end of which life?

19 Jul 2023

Different reuse strategies will work for different parts of a building. When I was an architecture student, I used to make my models out of recycled Weetabix packets. It was only partly thriftiness – I also enjoyed the different qualities they could bring, which you just didn’t get using white Kapa board.

Design Concrete 2023 winners announced

12 Jun 2023

Design Concrete is a national student competition which encourages architecture students to explore the benefits of designing sustainably with concrete. The competition has been developed to fit within, or complement, the syllabus of an undergraduate degree course.