ACI's Best Concrete Construction Projects From Around The World

Each year, the American Concrete Institute recognizes concrete construction projects worldwide in its ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. Here are the winners of the 2023 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards.

November 2, 2023

Jonathan Kozlowski

American Concrete Institute (ACI)

ACI President Antonio Nanni

As an international leader in concrete construction, everything the American Concrete Institute accomplishes is due to its volunteers, its contributors, and its donors. With the Fall 2023 event, the organization celebrates its 63rd Fall Convention - marking 119 years of guiding concrete construction, affirming the thousands of elements, and millions of details to improve the world's concrete, concrete construction, design, engineering, and so much more.

ACI President, Antonio NanniAll this but, consider that first sentence again: everything the ACI accomplishes is due to its volunteers, contributors, and donors. These individuals reconnect on a regular basis in countless committee meetings throughout the year and in bi-annual conventions in the Fall and Spring. ACI Spring 2024 is scheduled for March 24-28, in New Orleans and the ACI Fall 2024 Convention is scheduled for November 3-7, in Philadelphia.

The ACI 2023 Fall Convention was located in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 29 to November 2 and hosted by the ACI: New England Chapter. Ahmad Abdelrazaq presented the keynote speech, "Paradigm Shift in Tall Building Typologies | Past, Present, and Future Technologies' Impact on the New Generation of Tall Building Systems."

After their gift of a concrete bowtie with the ACI logo stamped within, Brett Holland, President of the ACI New England Chapter was presented with a certificate in recognition of the chapter's convention committee and its volunteers.

Excellence in Concrete Construction

Awards of the Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards Program.Sponsored by NUE, the ninth annual ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards showcased dozens of innovative concrete projects from around the world. Additional sponsors included the ACI Foundation, ACI Georgia chapter, ACI Las Vegas chapter, ACI, Missouri chapter, ACI Rocky Mountain chapter, Baker Concrete Construction, Heidelberg Materials, Keystone Structural Concrete, and Trademark Concrete Systems. Associate sponsors included ACI San Diego chapter and the Slag Cement Association.

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. To be eligible for participation in the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, projects need to be nominated by an ACI Chapter, or International Partner, or selected through self-nomination.

People's Choice

Contractors can also vote for the 2023 People’s Choice Award – an audience-driven award for the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. Beginning October 30 and ending November 30, 2023, participants can judge and vote for their favorite concrete project entered in this year's ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards.

Following the completion of the voting period on November 30, the American Concrete Institute will announce the winning project of the People’s Choice Award on ACI’s official social media pages.

VOTE NOW

Overall Excellence

The "Overall Excellence” award was presented to Quay Quarter Tower; also receiving first place in the Repair and Restoration Structures category.

Quay Quarter Tower, in New South Wales, Australia

Entries for the 2024 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards are being accepted now through April 29, 2024.

Located in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, Quay Quarter Tower is the world’s tallest adaptive reuse project. Adaptive reuse refers to a transformation of use from a building’s original purpose while preserving its architectural and cultural heritage. In the case of Quay Quarter Tower, a 45-year-old concrete building was repurposed with partial demolition and the addition of new elements—expanding both the ground width and height of the original structure. The new upcycled tower is a 709-foot tall building using a mixture of material solutions that extend service life until 2070. The project overcame unprecedented structural engineering challenges with innovative solutions that have set a new global standard for the effective conservation and lifetime extension of tall concrete buildings. Through a rigorous assessment and verification process, this project is the world’s first example of the adaptive reuse of a concrete skyscraper.

The Overall Excellence Award, Quay Quarter Tower, in New South Wales, Australia

“The project was both innovative and creative, including adaptive reuse of an existing high-rise building," stated Overall Excellence judge Ronald G. Burg. “The project team of architects, engineers, and contractors addressed many unique challenges to deliver a world-class sustainable building.”

Additional Awards

Repair & Restoration

1st Place: Quay Quarter Tower, in New South Wales, Australia

First Place, Repair & Restoration, Quay Quarter Tower, in New South Wales, Australia

Owner: AMP Capital
Engineering Firms: BG&E Pty Ltd, ADG
Engineers Pty Ltd, Kasina Consultants Pty Ltd
General Contractor: Multiplex Construction
Concrete Contractor: De Martin and Gasparini
Concrete Supplier: Boral Limited

2nd Place: University of British Columbia MacLeod Engineering Building Renewal, Vancouver Campus, in Vancouver, British Columbia

Second Place, Repair & Restoration, University of British Columbia MacLeod Engineering Building Renewal, Vancouver Campus, in Vancouver, British Columbia

Owner: The University of British Columbia
Engineering Firms: Structural: Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting Engineers
Mechanical: AME Group;
Electrical: Applied Engineering Solutions
General and Concrete Contractor: Heatherbrae Builders
Concrete Supplier: Con-Force Structures Ltd

Decorative Concrete

1st Place: North Bend Torguson Skatepark, in North Bend, WA, USA

First Place, Decorative Concrete, North Bend Torguson Skatepark, in North Bend, WA, USA

Owner: Si View Metropolitan Park District
Architectural Firm: Grindline Skateparks, Inc.
Engineering Firm: MacKay Sposito
General and Concrete Contractor: Grindline Skateparks, Inc.
Concrete Supplier: Cadman Inc.

2nd Place: Block G-1, in Tampa, FL, USA

Second Place, Decorative Concrete, Block G-1, in Tampa, FL, USA

Owner: Strategic Property Partners, LLC
Architectural Firms: COOKFOX Architects, DPC, and HOK Group, Inc.
Engineering Firm: DeSimone Consulting Engineering
General Contractor: Coastal Construction
Concrete Contractor: STABIL Concrete Products, LLC
Structural Engineering Firm: J & M Structural Engineers

Low-Rise Structures

1st Place: Bou You Rou, Sakai-shi, in Fukui, Japan

First Place, Low-Rise Structures (up to 3 Stories), Bou You Rou, Sakai-shi, Fukui, Japan

Owner: Dai-ichi Bou You Rou
Architectural Firm: kousou Inc.
Engineering Firm: KAP Co., Ltd.
General and Concrete Contractor: Tanaka Kensetsu Co., Ltd.
Concrete Supplier: Teramae Namacon Co., Ltd.
Monitoring System: Just.will Co., Ltd.
Mechanical Design: Akeno Facility Resilience Inc.
Interior Design: SH Architect & Design
Additional Participants: ZENNAMA; Japan Concrete Admixture Association and Dr. Atsushi Tomoyose

2nd Place: Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad; Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Management Building, in Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Second Place, Low-Rise Structures (Up to 3 Stories), Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad; Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Management Building

Owner: Universidad de los Andes
Architectural Firms: Konrad Brunner Arquitectos and Undurraga Devés Arquitectos (Joint Venture)
Engineering Firm: Arpro Arquitectos Ingenieros S.A.
General Contractor: Arpro Arquitectos Ingenieros S.A.
Concrete Contractor and Supplier: Grupo Argos

2nd Place: University of California San Francisco Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, in San Francisco, CA, USA

Second Place, Mid-Rise Structures (4-15 Stories), University of California San Francisco Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, in San Francisco, CA, USA

Owner: UCSF Real Estate
Architectural Firms: Perkins&Will, Pfau Long Architecture, Ltd., and ZGF Architects LLP
Engineering Firm: Tipping Structural Engineers
General Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company

High-Rise Structures

1st Place: Salesforce Tower Chicago, in Chicago, IL, USA

First Place, High-Rise Structures (Over 15 Stories), Salesforce Tower Chicago, in Chicago, IL, USA

Owners: Hines, the Kennedy Family, and AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust Corporation
Architectural Firms: Pelli Clarke & Partners
Engineering Firm: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
General Contractor: Walsh Construction
Concrete Supplier: Prairie Materials

2nd Place: The Reed at Southbank, in Chicago, IL, USA

Second Place, High-Rise Structures (Over 15 Stories), The Reed at Southbank, in Chicago, IL, USA

Owner: Lendlease Development
Architectural Firm: Perkins&Will
Engineering Firm: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
General Contractor: Lendlease (US) Construction
Concrete Contractor: McHugh Concrete Construction, Inc.
Concrete Supplier: Oremus Material
Concrete Mixture Consultant: Master Builders Solutions
Slag Cement Provider: Skyway Slag Cement

Infrastructure

1st Place: I-74 Mississippi River Bridge, in Bettendorf, IA, USA

First Place, Infrastructure, I-74 Mississippi River Bridge, in Bettendorf, IA, USA

Co-Owners: Iowa Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation
Architectural Firm: Rosales + Partners (Bridge Architect)
Engineering Firms: Benesch (Overall Corridor Manager & Design Lead) and Modjeski and Masters (Design Lead for Arch Superstructure)
River Bridge General Contractor and Concrete Contractor: Lunda Construction Co.
Concrete Supplier: Hahn Ready Mix

2nd Place: Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project, in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Second Place, Infrastructure, Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project, in Los Angeles, CA, USA