This is my third Steel Awards season and… wow. All I can say is wow because the entire judging process has been so rigorous this year that I’d have to take a couple of Berocca Boosts and a B12 injection to say much more!
This year, we received an astounding 74 entries. While reviewing, shortlisting, visiting and final adjudication is an energy-intensive process, implementing these projects was (I’m sure) much more taxing on the project teams. I think a hearty “congratulations” is in order. Well done to each and every team member of every project nominated for Steel Awards 2018.
Celebrating successes and acknowledging the people that made these great structures possible is something that gives tremendous energy to the industry. I think we’re all a bit shell-shocked as a result of industry and economic pressure, so the renewed sense of purpose and encouragement that Steel Awards brings is always welcome.
I’d like to extend a special thank you to this year’s judging team. There were some old and new faces, all of whom embraced the process, gave their time and shared their insights. This year, in addition to considering the judges’ observations and comments, we introduced a scoring sheet – which was available to nominators to view as part of their submission pack. We felt that this provided a bit more insight into the criteria all projects would be measured against. While it made the judging process fairly rigorous in terms of administration, all involved felt that it was a fair process, which gave every project no matter how big or small, a chance to shine. What the scoring facilitated was focus on quantitative criteria that demonstrated what Steel Awards is all about: excellence in the use of steel in construction.
My biggest thank you goes to those who work behind the scenes to make this magical evening and beautiful publication happen. To all SAISC support staff, but especially Liezel Weber (officially our Events and Marketing Communications Manager – but actually more of a “Steel Awards Magician”) and Sandra Addinall (Art Director for Steel Construction and the most meticulous person I know!)… Thank you! You rock!
