The Concrete Society

The Concrete Society
Name	The Concrete Society
Formation	1966
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Rugby
Location	United Kingdom
Fields	Civil engineering; Construction

The Concrete Society is a UK-based professional association focused on concrete practice, durability, design, and specification. It serves as a forum linking practitioners, researchers, consultants, contractors, and manufacturers across United Kingdom infrastructure, building, and materials sectors. The Society connects professionals involved with Reinforced concrete, Prestressed concrete, Ready-mix concrete, High-performance concrete, and related technologies through guidance, training, publications, and events.

History

The Society traces origins to post-war developments in Reinforced concrete and the expansion of British Standards Institution activity in the 20th century, forming amid contemporaneous bodies such as Institution of Civil Engineers, Royal Institute of British Architects, Concrete Society (predecessor names). Early interactions involved collaborations with the National House Building Council, Engineering Council, Department of the Environment (UK), and industry groups like the British Ready-Mixed Concrete Association and Structural Concrete Society. Over decades the Society engaged with landmark projects including the Severn Bridge, Humber Bridge, Dartford Crossing, Channel Tunnel, and refurbishment programmes for Tower Bridge and Forth Road Bridge. It intersected with major research centres like BRE, University of Cambridge Department of Engineering, Imperial College London, University of Leeds School of Civil Engineering, and University of Sheffield Department of Civil and Structural Engineering.

Mission and Objectives

The Society’s objectives align with standards and practice promoted by British Standards Institution, Eurocode, Institution of Structural Engineers, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and Engineering Council accreditation pathways. It aims to improve durability and sustainability of concrete works used in projects such as Crossrail, Heathrow Terminal 5, Olympic Park, London 2012, and regeneration schemes in Manchester and Glasgow. The Society advances dissemination of best practice relevant to stakeholders like National Highways, Local Government Association, Homes England, and private clients including Laing O'Rourke, Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, and Skanska UK.

Membership and Structure

Membership categories accommodate professionals from University of Oxford Department of Engineering Science alumni to technicians from firms like Cemex UK, Tarmac, Aggregate Industries, and Holcim. Governance typically involves a council with representatives from Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Royal Academy of Engineering, and regional groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The Society liaises with professional bodies including Chartered Institute of Building, Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, Royal Institute of British Architects, British Ceramic Confederation, and trade associations such as Mineral Products Association.

Publications and Technical Guidance

The Society issues technical guidance, reports, and technical notes complementing documents from British Standards Institution and European Committee for Standardization. Publications address topics relevant to projects like HS2, West Midlands Metro, and flood defence works engineered by Environment Agency. Collaborations have involved journals and publishers such as ICE Publishing, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Building Research Establishment, Concrete Society journals (other publishers), and academic outlets at University of Cambridge and University College London. Guidance covers specification for admixtures from firms like Fosroc and Sika and performance criteria used by consultancies like Arup, Atkins, Mott MacDonald, and WSP Global.

Training, Conferences, and Events

The Society organises seminars, site visits, and conferences in partnership with event hosts such as ExCeL London, Manchester Central Convention Complex, Glasgow Science Centre, and industry exhibitions like UK Concrete Show and Ecobuild. Training schemes link to vocational qualifications recognised by City and Guilds and continuing professional development accepted by Institution of Structural Engineers and Engineering Council. Conferences have featured speakers from University of Bath Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham Faculty of Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, and specialist laboratories including Cement and Concrete Research Unit at Leeds.

Research and Industry Collaboration

The Society fosters collaborations with research funders and programmes like UK Research and Innovation, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Innovate UK, and European initiatives linked to Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. It supports applied research with partners such as BRE Trust, Transport Research Laboratory, National Physical Laboratory, and academic consortia at University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, and University of Southampton. Industry collaborations involve manufacturers like CRH plc, Vicat, LafargeHolcim, and consultants delivering projects for clients including Network Rail, National Grid, and Thames Water.

Awards and Recognition

The Society administers awards and recognition schemes aligned with awards presented by institutions like Royal Academy of Engineering, ICE Awards, Structural Awards (Institution of Structural Engineers), and the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. Awards celebrate achievements in repair and refurbishment exemplified by projects at Tate Modern, British Museum, and St Pancras Station, and innovation in materials seen in initiatives by Research Council UK partners. Recipients often include professionals affiliated with Arup, Mott MacDonald, Buro Happold, Expedite Engineering, and academics from University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.

Category:Professional associations based in the United Kingdom Category:Civil engineering organizations Category:Construction industry organizations