Precast & concrete repair spotlights

This session highlights current advances in precast concrete and modern repair strategies. Speakers will share practical insight on design efficiency, durability, specification and long-term asset performance. Ideal for engineers, manufacturers, contractors and asset owners looking to improve quality, resilience and whole-life value across projects.

00:00 - Introduction
Susannah Streeter, Host

01:24 - Sustainable precast by design: practical pathways to lower-carbon concrete
Andrea Charlson, Senior Built Environment Sustainability Specialist and Circular Economy Lead - The Concrete Centre

26:12 - Patch repair: why common repair strategies can cause further problems
Christian Stone, Lead Materials Scientist and Technical Expert - Concrete Preservation Technologies

Using maturity monitoring to establish element strength for identity testing

This session will look at data from Balfour Beatty Vinci on how digital maturity monitoring can establish element strength for identity testing in lieu of compressive strength testing.

00:00 - Introduction
Steve Thorpe, Technical Director - The Concrete Society

01:02 - Concrete digitisation: use of concrete maturity and match curing to assess in-situ strength of concrete structures
William Brentnall, Graduate Materials Engineer - Balfour Beatty Vinci

16:50 - Digital monitoring of hardened concrete – maturity and strength development
Marcus Hine, Associate Director - OTB Concrete

31:10 - Panel session and Q&A
Steve Thorpe, Technical Director - The Concrete Society
William Brentnall, Graduate Materials Engineer - Balfour Beatty Vinci
George McArthur, Senior Materials Engineer - Balfour Beatty Vinci
Marcus Hine, Associate Director - OTB Concrete

 

Attracting, developing and retaining new talent in the concrete industry | Emerging Talent Awards

Leading industry figures Claire Ackerman (Chief Executive Officer, The Concrete Society), John Reddy (President, Institute of Concrete Technology), and Lauren Fairley (Executive Officer, Concrete Repair Association) discuss how the concrete sector can attract, develop, and retain new talent. They will explore how the sector is tackling the skills gap to meet the challenges of sustainability and digitalisation, and will review the training pathways and professional platforms that facilitate career progression. The session concludes with the presentation of The 2026 Emerging Talent Awards.

00:00 - Introduction
Susannah Streeter, Host

03:20 - Panel discussion
Claire Ackerman, Chief Executive Officer - The Concrete Society
John Reddy, President of the Institute of Concrete Technology | Director of Concrete Technology Deployment - Ecocem
Lauren Fairley, Executive Officer - Concrete Repair Association

29:00 - Emerging Talent Awards presentation to winners