Awards

Brian Bruce receives prestigious global construction award

Brian Bruce

Murray & Roberts group CE Brian Bruce was awarded the Chartered Institute of Building President’s Medal at the Institute’s annual dinner at the Guildhall in London earlier this year. The award was made in recognition of Brian’s “outstanding leadership in shaping the international construction market.”

The CIOB is a leading global organisation for construction managers. Based in the United Kingdom, it is renowned for setting the pace globally for high standards of professionalism in the built environment. The CIOB presents the President’s Medals annually for contribution to the construction industry. Brian is the first non-British construction leader to receive the award in the CIOB’s 173-year history

In a citation read out at the dinner, CIOB President, Roger Flanagan, described Brian as “a giant in the construction industry. His influence spreads far and wide around the world of construction and engineering. He has championed safety, equality and opportunity. He has made a difference to the performance of the South African construction sector and in many overseas countries. He has made Murray & Roberts one of the most admired construction organisations around the world.

”When Brian speaks people listen because they believe that he delivers on his promises. He has a huge depth of understanding of the challenges facing the construction sector; more importantly he has some solutions to making the world of construction a better place for everybody.” As a special guest speaker at the CIOB dinner, Brian addressed an audience of international construction executives, British Members of Parliament and ambassadors, including the South African Ambassador to the UK. He spoke about the challenges and opportunities of building in developing environments.

The other recipient of the 2007 CIOB President’s Medal was Ray O’Rourke, chairman of Laing O’Rourke, which is part of the consortium that will deliver the London Olympics in 2012.

WORLD RECORD-BREAKERS AMONG 2007 FULTON AWARDS WINNERS

Impala Platinum min No. 16 shaft

The 2007 Fulton Award in the Civil Engineering Projects category went to Impala Platinum Mine’s Number 16 Shaft – a project that called for a towering headgear, the tallest in the world. The judges found that the quality of concrete that the construction team, headed by Murray & Roberts Construction, achieved was outstanding. “This was even more emphasised by the scale of the project. Innovative shuttering methods were used to construct six metre deep beams, 92 metres above ground level, to house the Koepe winders.

Due to the overall height of the structure – and the volume of concrete required for the continuous slide – all the concrete had to be pumped to a height of 108 metres which makes it the tallest headgear in the world with an overall height from the foundation of 132 metres. Construction was further complicated by the fact that the mine shaft was being sunk at the same time as construction took place,” the judges added in their citation.

The prestigious Fulton Awards are presented every two years by the Concrete Society of Southern Africa for excellence in the use of concrete in five categories: Civil Engineering Projects, Building Projects, Design Aspects, Construction Techniques and Aesthetic Appeal.