Since its inception in 2015, the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards has evaluated more than 860 projects and built an international network of people and resources. The program spans 24 countries, reaching 74 provinces, states, and regional jurisdictions worldwide. Beyond these numbers, the Excellence Awards does something more impactful.
“The Excellence Awards program strengthens ACI Chapters and connects participants with resources they may not know exist,” said Esther Beery, ACI Chapter Activities Coordinator. “We help entrants gain a broader understanding of ACI resources and fostering local chapter connections.”
Chapter Connections Transform Opportunity into Impact
David Hall, CEO, Roman Cement, LLC, attended his first ACI Concrete Convention in the fall of 2025, when he was invited as a First-Place winner in the Flatwork Category with his project, Low-Carbon Concrete: Bus Charging Station, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. While Hall was familiar with ACI prior to entering the 2025 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, Roman Cement’s involvement with the Institute was minimal.
“One of my colleagues had an individual ACI membership, so we were familiar with ACI, however, our knowledge was limited to material science, quality expectations, and the work and efforts of others in the area of cement reduction and low-carbon achievements.”
To learn more about ACI, the Roman Cement team reached out to the local ACI Intermountain Chapter. Tammy Meldrum, ACI Intermountain Chapter Executive Director, helped to educate them about ACI’s resources, especially at the local level.
“It was clear from the start that David wanted to become involved,” said Meldrum. “That kind of early engagement is something we really value in our chapter, professionals who are eager to connect, learn, and contribute.”
Roman Cement joined at the local level soon after meeting with Meldrum, and the ACI Intermountain Chapter nominated their project for an international award. Roman Cement was notified that the project had been selected as a winner, and they received an invitation to attend the ACI Concrete Convention – Fall 2025 and Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards gala.
“We were so excited about the news that we decided to go all in,” Hall said. “We joined as ACI Organizational members. Since then, my colleague and I have joined committees and have been given the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing conversations and standards driven by ACI. We are so grateful for the connections we have made with our local chapter and all the ACI resources we have discovered along the way.”
Since then, Hall has used the ACI Membership Directory to connect with professionals around the globe. “We have been able to connect with some truly outstanding people within the industry, both on an academic level as well as the producer level,” Hall noted. “We consider membership and involvement a critical component to our ongoing success as a company.”
The ACI Concrete Convention also proved to be beneficial to Hall. “We were able to attend many sessions and enjoyed the education value and discussion that came from the event,” Hall said. “At some point in the future, we would love to host a breakout or a session, focused on the use of mineral fines within low-carbon concrete mixtures and implementing the information in ACI Subcommittee 211-N. I think that would be of great interest to others.”
Roman Cement was also a sponsor of the ACI Concrete Convention – Fall 2025. “This was a networking bonanza, and we expect to participate each year hereafter,” Hall said. “We had an outstanding time meeting many important people from around the world that are helping us move our company forward. We had great booth participation from attendees and enjoyed connecting with other sponsors and booth participants, some of which have become great friends and associates.”
To learn more about ACI membership, visit www.concrete.org/getinvolved/membership or connect with your local Chapter by visiting www.concrete.org/getinvolved/chapters/chapterlisting.
Forging Connections That Inspire the Next Generation
Jeff Smith, Senior Project Manager, Skanska USA Inc., attended his first ACI Convention in the fall of 2023. He was invited as a Second-Place winner in the Infrastructure Category, celebrating the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
“As a first-time attendee of the ACI Convention – Fall 2023, I was invited to attend a variety of sessions in my free time and gained a better understanding of the various resources ACI provides. It was a very good experience.”
After learning more about ACI, Smith inquired to see if ACI would be able to assist with his local ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Mentor Program, where he serves as a mentor. ACE is a no-cost after school initiative that is focused on workforce development for high school students. He was put in touch with the ACI Southern California Resource Center.
“As a result, 18 students gained hands-on experience at the Resource Center, learning about concrete cylinder strength and proper testing procedures,” Smith said. “It was a great experience for the students. Since then, I have uncovered other ACI services, documents, publications, and archived studies for our use.”
One of the core functions of the ACI Resource Centers is to deliver educational opportunities tailored to a diverse industry audience. Through seminars, workshops, certification programs, technical courses, and hands-on training, the centers offer a broad range of learning experiences designed to strengthen the skills and knowledge of industry professionals.
For more information on upcoming training and certification offerings, contact an ACI Resource Center at [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
Sponsorship That Builds Meaningful Connections
David Buzzeli, FACI, Vice President, Texas A&M Concrete, LLC, sponsored the 2025 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards calendar, which was mailed with the November 2025 issue of Concrete International.
“The Excellence Awards sponsorship was worth every penny,” Buzzelli said. “I received calls from several people all over the country, commenting about our sponsorship of the calendar.”
For more information or sponsorship options, email Esther Beery, [email protected].
2026 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards Gala
Winning projects from around the world will be recognized at the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards Gala on October 12, 2026, during the ACI Concrete Convention – Fall 2026 in Atlanta, GA, USA.
ACI Resources
ACI University—On-demand courses, webinars, and certificate programs: www.concrete.org/education/aciuniversity
Publications—Access to guides, reports, journals, and symposium volumes: www.concrete.org/publications
Technical Questions—Submit questions about ACI documents: www.concrete.org/frequentlyaskedquestions/submitaquestion
Membership Benefits—Information on joining and member benefits: www.concrete.org/getinvolved/membership/becomeamember
Chapters—Find and connect with local and student chapters: www.concrete.org/chapters/findachapter
Career Center—Job postings and career resources: www.concrete.org/careercenter
Student Resources—Competitions, scholarships, and student activities: www.concrete.org/students
The awards presentation will highlight project details through short videos that will precede the presentation of each category award. The evening will conclude with one nominated project receiving the “Overall Excellence” award.
Project categories
Nominated projects are eligible to receive first- or secondplace awards in the following eight categories:
• Low-Rise Structures (up to three stories);
• Mid-Rise Structures (four to 15 stories);
• High-Rise Structures (more than 15 stories);
• Bridges;
• Decorative Concrete;
• Flatwork;
• Infrastructure; and
• Repair and Restoration
Project categories
There are three ways to nominate a project for the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards:
• The project has been recognized and won an ACI Chapter award or is nominated by an ACI Chapter;
• The project is nominated by an ACI Allied Organization; or
• The project is nominated by a member of the project team (nonrefundable fee required).
Nominations for the 2026 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards are due by April 1, 2026. For a complete list of rules and eligibility, or to nominate a project, visit www.aciexcellence.org.
For more information, or to sponsor the awards gala, email Esther Beery, [email protected].
