CEMEX Deutschland AG awards “Nobel Prize of Concrete Engineering”
On 28.10 2010, Eric Wittmann, CEO of CEMEX Deutschland AG, handed over the award that includes prize money of 20 000 € in the presence of guests from economy and science in the Hotel am Wasserturm in Cologne. The award was equally distributed between two prizewinners. Dr.-Ing. Till Felix Mayer from Munich was awarded for his work “The corrosion of steel formwork in precast plants” (Fig.). Dr.-Ing. Michael Haist from Karlsruhe convinced the jury with his contribution “The rheology and physical interactions of cement suspensions”. “With the concrete award we support the technical, economic and ecological innovations of the concrete construction method”, explained Eric Wittmann. “Research and development are essential fundamentals of sustainability. We want to offer an additional incentive to scientists, practicians and junior engineers to work on topics that are important for our branch.” The renowned award has been offered every two years since 1984 and is known as “Nobel Prize of Concrete Engineering” among the experts. Experts from science and construction practice are invited to submit research results and innovations that point the way ahead. An independent committee of recognized experts in the field of building materials technology decide who will receive the award.
In 2010 the jury consisted of Prof. Dr. Rolf Breitenbücher, Bochum Ruhr University, Prof. Dr. Harald Budelmann, Brunswick Technical University, Prof. Dr. Harald S. Müller, Karlsruhe University and Prof. Dr. Jochen Stark, Weimar Bauhaus University. The jury was headed by Prof. emeritus Dr.-Ing. Peter Schießl from the Munich-based Ingenieurbüro Schießl Gehlen Sodeikat. During the ceremony Prof. Schießl acknowledged the work of the prizewinners and the German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter reported in a special lecture on his experience gained during space travel and scientific experiments carried out in a state of weightlessness.
“The contributions submitted are to develop the specific pro-gress as regards building materials in the manufacture, processing and use of concrete, concrete products and precast concrete elements”, said Prof. Dr. Rolf Silbereisen, Technology Director of CEMEX Deutschland AG and patron of the award. “The aim is to show possibilities for the improvement of the specific properties, quality, profitability, ecology and technological aspects of the products of building materials. Approaches to the transfer knowledge into practice are required.”
