FAQs

The Structural Awards recognise and celebrate the immense skill structural engineers demonstrate across a vast range of structures and disciplines.

Winning a Structural Award means: 

• Recognition of your achievements by our expert judging panel

• Extensive media coverage and publicity of your work

• A celebration of the technical expertise and hard work of your team 

• A spotlight on your organisation’s commitment to sustainable practices across design and construction

• A showcase of projects that have tangible benefits for end-users and make a positive impact on communities

• Joining a remarkable group of Structural Award-winners that enhance the reputation of the profession and inspire others

• Boosting your business by establishing new relationships and reaching new clients 

Entries for this year are now closed. Entries for the Structural Awards 2024 will open in January.

The Structural Awards have a two-stage judging process:

1. The judging panel independently review all entries and award points based on the judging criteria and relevance to category descriptions to decide the shortlist.

2. The panel meet to decide the winning projects
   
   NB:Judges will not participate in discussions around projects where they may have a vested interest.

The judging criteria is designed to ensure that the Structural Awards recognise and celebrate the immense skill structural engineers demonstrate across a vast range of structures.

All entries for this year’s Awards have been judged in response to four key attributes that exemplify structural engineering achievement:
 

Planet

• The judges consider efficiency of design, sustainability, resilience, response to local conditions, regeneration, circular economy principles, alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

 

• All entries must submit quantification of the embodied carbon footprint of the structure (not the whole project) using the IStructE carbon calculator tool.

 

People

• Entries may consider collaborative design and procurement, adding value for the client and stakeholders and/or impact on communities through local upskilling or creative problem-solving. The judges will be assessing how the project benefits its end users and society more widely.

 

Process

• Entries may consider technical achievement and innovation, influencing briefs to achieve desired outcomes, and/or the appreciation of craft and artistry in the final product. Entrants may give examples of originality and the application of new and improved technologies and processes in the structural design, particularly where these have led to greater efficiency and economy in the solution.

 

Profession

• Entries may detail how the project/project team has inspired others, raised standards of design and execution, and/or enhanced the reputation of the profession. If entrants used novel materials or technologies, for example, then judges might consider how will the wider profession benefit from this. Judges will also consider if entrants have disseminated their design to others, shared knowledge outside the immediate project team or used this design educationally within or outside of their organisation.

 

• It is recognised that some projects will demonstrate strength in response to one of the key attributes rather than relevance multiple attributes and judges will be assessing in which areas entrants have excelled in.

Last year the decision was taken to remove the previous categories. This is because the judging panel welcome any and all submissions that demonstrate structural engineering achievement.

The only requirement is that your project celebrates the incredible skill of structural engineers in relation to at least one of the four key attributes of Planet, People, Process and Profession. The panel will score all entries in relation to these criteria and the highest scoring projects will form the shortlist.

The shortlist was announced at an online event on 6 September 2023. The 10 best projects will receive a Structural Award at the ceremony on 10 November 2023, culminating in the announcement of this year’s Supreme award for structural engineering achievement; recognising to the very best of the best.

The Structural Awards are open to projects of all sizes from around the world that represent the design and construction of a built structure.
 

Anyone can enter into the Structural Awards. Entries typically come from the structural engineering practice involved on the project, although this is not a requirement. 

NB: It is important to note that all companies involved in a project must agree to enter the Awards before any application is submitted. Joint ventures or group projects are also welcome to enter but this should be identified in Step 1 on the entry form. 

The shortlisted projects were announced for the Structural Awards 2023 on 6 September. A video is available to view and the projects are also listed on the Shortlisted page.

The winners are announced at our annual black tie gala dinner in London, UK 10 November 2023.

You can purchase tickets for the 2023 Structural Awards online by clicking here.

The Institution is the world’s largest membership organisation dedicated to structural engineering.

Professional membership is one of the leading global benchmarks of competence and technical excellence. Members undergo rigorous technical assessment and commit to continual learning and development.

The Institution drives higher standards and shares knowledge because its members’ work is vital to public safety and meeting the challenges of the future.

The Institution provides a voice for its members, promoting their contribution to society as innovative, creative problem solvers and the guardians of public safety.

Learn more on our About us page.