The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced the winners of the 2016 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, who were honored during the ACI Awards Gala at the Concrete Convention & Exposition, October 24, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pa.
 
The highest honor, "The Excellence Award," was presented to Palazzo Italia (Italian Pavilion Expo 2015), Milan, Italy, and submitted by the ACI Italy Chapter.  This award is given to a project that demonstrates excellence in concrete innovation and technology, and stands out above all other entries.

The Italian Pavilion is the throbbing heart of Expo 2015. The architectural design envisages the construction of a complex structure whose exterior and some interior spaces recall the shapes of branches in a thick forest. The entire outdoor surface and part of the interiors consist of i.active BIODYNAMIC cement panels, obtained using Styl-Comp technology from the new material developed at i.lab, the heart of Italcementi's research and innovation. The "bio" component is given by the product's photocatalytic properties, originating from the active ingredient TX Active, patented by Italcementi. In direct sunlight, the active principle contained in the material "captures" certain pollutants present in the air and converts them into inert salts, helping to purify the atmosphere from smog. The "dynamic" component is a specific characteristic of the new material, whose particular fluidity allows the creation of complex shapes like those found in the Palazzo Italia panels.

The awards were created to honor the visions of the most creative projects in the concrete industry, while providing a platform to recognize concrete innovation, technology, and excellence across the globe.  In order to be eligible for participation in the Excellence Awards, projects needed to be winners at a local ACI Chapter level and submitted by that Chapter, or chosen by one of ACI's International Partners.  

An independent panel of esteemed industry professionals judged projects and selected winners based on architectural and engineering merit, creativity, innovative construction techniques or solutions, innovative use of materials, ingenuity, sustainability and resilience, and functionality.

The winning projects were selected from among several possible categories, with a first- and second-place winner available in each. In the awards program, the categories, winners, and project details included:

Repair & Restoration
1st Place:  The Strand, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), in San Francisco, CA, submitted by the ACI Northern California and Western Nevada Chapter
2nd Place: F.E. Weymouth Water Treatment Plant Filter Buildings Seismic Upgrades, in La Verne, CA, submitted by the ACI Southern California Chapter

Flatwork
1st Place:  Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport (BWWA) EFC Geopolymer Pavements in Wellcamp, Queensland, Australia, submitted by the Concrete Institute of Australia

Decorative Concrete
1st Place:  Palazzo Italia (Italian Pavilion Expo 2015), Milan, Italy, submitted by the ACI Italy Chapter
2nd Place: Stealth (Sculpture) in Atlanta, GA, submitted by the ACI Atlanta Chapter

Low-Rise Buildings
1st Place:  Museo Internacional del Barroco in Puebla, Mexico, submitted by Instituto Mexicano del Cemento y del Concreto
2nd Place: Frost Museum of Science in Miami, FL, submitted by the ACI South Florida Chapter

High-Rise Buildings
1st Place:  Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU in Richmond, VA, submitted by the ACI Virginia Chapter
2nd Place: McCord Hall at ASU W.P. Carey School of Business in Tempe, AZ, submitted by the ACI Arizona Chapter
2nd Place: Viktoria (Apartment Tower) in Seattle, WA, submitted by the Washington Chapter  

Infrastructure
1st Place:  The "Ring of Memory" International Memorial of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, Paris, France, submitted by the ACI Paris Chapter
2nd Place: 3rd Bosphorus Project, Istanbul, Turkey, submitted by the ACI Turkey Chapter

The winning project details can be found here. Photos of the all the winners can be accessed here. The entry period is now open for the 2017 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. Submittals are due by April 3, 2017.  

Visit www.ACIExcellence.org for more information.