Concrete research wins civil engineering 2010 Warren Medal
The excellence of the paper Bearing Strength of Concrete With and Without Fibre Reinforced Polymer Confinement, co-authored by Sydney-based graduate engineer Craig Scheffers and Dr R Sri Ravindrarajah of the University of Technology, Sydney, was awarded prestigious acknowledgement by winning the 2010 Warren Medal at the Engineers Australia’s Civil College awards dinner in Canberra on Thursday 28 October.
The Warren Medal, established in 1929, perpetuates the memory of Professor W H Warren who was the first President of the Institution of Engineers Australia (now Engineers Australia), and is awarded annually for the paper selected by the Engineers Australia Board of the Civil College of Engineers as the best paper in the discipline of civil engineering.
Craig Scheffers said that he based the paper on the findings of an experimental investigation that he performed while studying at the UTS. The investigation demonstrated that by confining concrete with externally bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites that the bearing strength of concrete can be significantly increased by up to 70per cent.
He said that extensive research had already been performed to show that concrete structures can by strengthened with FRP composites, however only limited investigations had previously been reported on the behavior of FRP confined concrete under load bearing conditions.
In accepting the award, Craig Scheffers said, “I would like to thank Dr Ravindrarajah of the University of Technology, Sydney for his guidance and leadership in my studies at university, as well as his co-authorship of my technical papers.
“I would also like to thank my colleagues at AECOM, who support my work and professional development as a young engineer.”
The awards dinner also included the presentation of the Sir John Holland Civil Engineer of the Year Award 2010 to Professor Tony Wong of Monash University and AECOM in Melbourne, and the 2010 Rod McGee Medal to Brisbane’s QUT civil engineering student, Jake Whitehead.
Further Information: John Bright - 0407 234 490 / jbright@engineersaustralia.org.au / www.engineersaustralia.org.au
Engineers Australia is the common name of the Institution of Engineers Australia with a membership of 93,000.
