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Awards Submittal Guidelines

SUBMITTAL RULES

  1. You must be an active CFA Member to submit. Non-Members do not qualify for the awards program. Join the CFA at www.cfaconcretepros.org/join-us. Eligible projects include any CFA Member project, completed in any year, that has not previously won a Projects of the Year Award. Projects must not be fully completed to be eligible although finished concrete work does present stronger.
  2. All required information must be provided to be considered. We request that you consider diligently providing as much information as possible regarding the narrative questions, construction statistics, and the products and materials used to benefit industry recognition. CFA reserves the right to waive minor deficiencies in the award submittal and to contact the submitting company for additional information if needed.
  3. You are highly encouraged to provide photography/video that evidences both the construction of this project from a construction process as well as finished cast-in-place concrete photography/video detailing and conveying the completed composition of your project; both are of interest to develop a full appreciation of the work.
  4. There is a $50 charge for each entry per project. This must be paid upon entry and can be found within the submittal link. Please call CFA headquarters at (319)895-6940 with any eligibility questions.
  5. The submittal deadline is April 30th of each year for the project awards division. Entries submitted after this date will be automatically entered into the following year's program.

PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. Project images must be emailed or uploaded according to the instructions during the online award submittal process. Contact CFA at (319) 895-6940 with any questions. All material must be received by CFA staff before the awards deadlines provided.
  2. Copyright material (photographs) must be identified. It is the responsibility of the submitting company to communicate any necessary photo credits.
  3. Suggest submitting 6-10 photos of the project, though no maximum limit exists. Overall shots are critical for scope, as are detail-oriented or "zoomed-in" images of unique features. Photos submitted will be used for both print and video materials for a variety of marketing and public relations efforts. It is essential that ALL images are provided in high resolution. 300dpi at 5 x 7 inches or 2,400px x 3,600px minimum.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Each project will be evaluated by review by invited members of the Association at large. A rating of 1-10 in each of the following criteria. Consider these criteria as you craft your submittal.

  • CQ – Construction Quality (0-10) (20%): For this criteria, the approach to the project from a craftsmanship perspective is evaluated, considering both the resulting work as well as the approach to assurance.
  • PC – Project Complexity (0-10) (20%): The rating of this criteria evaluates the design complexity and the amount of departure from normal project parameters. It will consider the features of the project and the application of cast-in-place systems to accomplish the completed work.
  • CC – Challenge for the Contractor (0-10) (20%): This criteria assesses the overall challenge of the context for the project. Consideration for the variables of the site, the season of the year and the additional hurdles the construction team faced to prepare and delivery the resulting work is the emphasis of this criteria.
  • UT – Use of Technology (0-10) (20%): An important consideration for the evolution and advancement of the industry is the involvement of technology. This criteria assesses the balance between traditional systems and the advanced use of the latest technology, equipment and systems to complete the challenges faced on the project.
  • SS – Setting an Industry Standard (0-10) (20%): This criteria evaluates the degree to which any project increases public awareness or establishes a new benchmark for accomplishment and performance for cast-in-place construction methodology. Points in this category could be awarded for owner/builder satisfaction, unique or high-profile application, the introduction of new technology, quality or unique finishes, etc.

RELEASE WAIVER

  1. By submitting an entry, entrants take full responsibility for the accuracy of all information submitted and warrant that all necessary permissions have been obtained from others who may have rights to the work. Entrants further acknowledge that no royalty or compensation is due to anyone, hold CFA its sponsors, staff, consultants, and members harmless from all liability, and grant to CFA the non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce and distribute copies of the original entry.

Download the Submittal Form (PDF)
Download the Submittal Form (Microsoft Word)
Apply Online

PREPARING YOUR SUBMITTAL

To make the submission as efficient as possible, please have the following items ready:

  1. Basic information including the name and location of the project.
  2. Category for the project including Single Family Residential Foundation, Commercial/Agricultural Foundation, Multi-Family/Apartment/Townhome, Non-building Foundation, Above-Grade Concrete Home, Non-Foundation Structural Element, and user-defined category. CFA reserves the right to alter these categories or divide categories based on volume of submittals and sizes (i.e. < 2,000 sq.ft., 2,000 to 5,000 sq.ft., > 5,000 sq.ft. etc.)
  3. Detailed project data including total amount of concrete and steel, wall heights and thicknesses, project square footage, and more.
  4. Finishes, systems, and other products, including any unique features.
  5. Between 6 and 10 high-resolution (professional is not necessary but is ideal) digital photographs of the project.
  6. Narrative answers to the following questions:
    1. Discuss the use of significant footing details (e.g. steps).
    2. Discuss any outstanding wall features, such as curved walls, columns, complex corners, etc.
    3. Why did the owner select you as the contractor?
    4. Please discuss how you approached the project technically.
    5. Describe the overall complexity of the project and how challenges were met.
    6. Please discuss your approach to the project in terms of estimating if agreeable.
    7. Please discuss any special materials or processes used:

EDITING YOUR SUBMITTAL

We recognize that submittal information may change after initial information/images are provided. You may edit your submittal until the May 15th final information deadline by contacting CFA Executive Director, James Baty by email. After this deadline, CFA cannot guarantee the successful edit or addition of information to the project evaluation process. Additional information may continue to be provided for publishing and promotion activities at any time.

ENTRY FEE

There is a $50 charge for each entry per project and must be paid upon submittal. Members may submit as many projects of interest or available to them. CFA reserves the right to change this policy at any point in the future.