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.
The structure is to provide a new home for a multi-disciplinary company, including six storeys of office spaces with basement car parking.
The client, a property developer, has commissioned an initial structural design for the development, to be known as Beeby House, from a firm of consulting engineers. The building includes a basement with office car parking and six floors of office space. Entrants had to respond as though they were the structural engineer responsible within the consultant’s team.
This year, The Concrete Centre held a virtual prize giving awards ceremony via webinar, which took place on Thursday 17 August 2023, where the winners were announced to all delegates. The online event celebrated the winner’s highlights and achievements along with their fellow entrants and the judges.
The 2023 competition attracted entries from across UK schools of engineering and four prizes were awarded.
- First prize - Mark Coughlin, Jill McIlveen, Grace Miller and Andrew Currie from Queens University, Belfast.
- Joint Runners up - Dinu Scaria, Raees Baig, Martins Ighodalo Ehikhamenor and Mohammed Shoaib Ali Sajath from the University of East London.
- Joint Runners up - Mary Nwani, Muzi Li, Yejia Wang and Toni Mercadal Sola from Imperial College.
- Sustainability Award - Bok Man Choi, Aman Varaitch, Boaz Osorio Whewell and Lim Jiunn Yuh from the University of Manchester.
Jenny Burridge, judge and Director of Structural Design at The Concrete Centre said “This year’s project was a six storey office building on a single storey basement car park. The judges were impressed with the work that had gone into all the entries we had and with the structural understanding shown by the students.”
Mark Coughlin, Jill McIlveen, Grace Miller and Andrew Currie from Queen’s University, Belfast impressed the judges with their very high standard submission that included two good options for the structure, covering both precast and in situ options. It was a high quality, clear submission with proper referencing.
They proposed an interesting and innovative use of a diagrid for the external support of their chosen option. Clear thought was given to the choice of materials and how these would impact the performance and sustainability of the building.
The entries from University of East London and Imperial College were also of an excellent standard and the judges decided that they both merited second prize. Dinu Scaria, Raees Baig, Martins Ighodalo Ehikhamenor and Mohammed Shoaib Ali Sajath from the University of East London submitted a well-presented entry showing a good understanding of structural principles, with high quality drawings. Mary Nwani, Muzi Li, Yejia Wang and Toni Mercadal Sola from Imperial College submitted a comprehensive design report with a clear explanation of design intent.
Bok Man Choi, Aman Varaitch, Boaz Osorio Whewell and Lim Jiunn Yuh from the University of Manchester provided an excellent sustainability report. Chairman of the judges, Roger Hewitt of WSP said “The report went into sustainability benefits of their precast solution, transport to site, minimising concrete volumes by lean design, use of GGBS replacement cements – but limiting the % due to issues with availability, designing for dismantling at the end of life, choosing lower strength grout in connections, and discussed maintenance issues. A really strong report.”
The brief for the next competition “Structural Concrete 2024” was also launched at the event and is to design an arts centre and community hub in the North East of England.
More information can be found at http://www.concretecentre.com/competition
ENDS
Notes to editor
Figures: If drawings from the winning entries, or figures from the 2023 competition brief are required please contact info@concretecentre.com
Issued by - Kim Hawksworth, digital marketing manager, The Concrete Centre