A record number of votes raised awareness of the industry as competition promotes the celebration of civil engineering in Wales.
The ICE Wales Cymru annual photo competition has grown extensively this year with the introduction of two new categories: professional and individual.
The competition challenges photographers across the nation to find and showcase Welsh civil engineering projects through the lens of a camera.
This year, for the first time, industry got involved with images submitted from company drones as well as individual's cameras to give a spectacular insight into civil engineering feats.
Judges decided to extend the competition with the new categories due to a record number of entries and over a thousand public votes received.
The result is a stunning showcase of civil engineering photographs from across the length and breadth of Wales.
The 2023 ICE Wales Cymru photo competition winners
Professional category:
Winner 1st prize – Alejandro Plaza, Tecozam – A465 Taf Fawr bridges
The striking aerial view was taken using a drone.
It shows how the valley has been spanned over the years by generations of bridges which now feature alongside the ongoing construction of the latest, the new A465 Taf Fawr bridge.
2nd prize – Kevin Dite, Knights Brown, Porthcawl coastal defence works
Judges praised the composition of the image, taken by a drone, which offered a bird's eye view of the important works being undertaken on the iconic breakwater structure at Porthcawl.
3rd prize – Gavin Davies, JN Bentley- Llandegfedd reservoir
A fascinating image of civil engineering showing the intricate installation needed to fix in a scour valve at Llandegfedd Reservoir
Individual category
Winner 1st prize – David Curtis, Old Colwyn steps
The continuing work on Colwyn Bay is close to the hearts of many with this photograph depicting work on restoring the old steps drawing in the most votes.
2nd prize – Luke Harris, Maintenance in dam tunnels
The artistic composition of this photograph graphically illustrated the scale of the tunnels being worked on and appealed to many.
3rd prize – Iwan Pritchard, Works on Colwyn Bay coastal defence
This photograph certainly displayed civil engineering in a different light with a multitude of clever elements gaining votes.
Heritage and Sustainability prize (renew, re-use and recycle)
Winner – Greg Garson – The Vulcan Hotel, St Fagans, Cardiff
This award was judged by the panel who were looking for a photo which depicted the elements of ‘restore, re-use and recycle’.
The photo of the iconic Vulcan Hotel was deemed the ideal winner.
One of the oldest public houses in Cardiff, it was taken down brick by brick and reconstructed in St Fagans, Wales’ living museum.
The restoration work is nearing completion, and the Vulcan will be pulling pints for visitors soon.
Raising awareness of the fascinating structures found in Wales
Head judge, Adam Johnson, associate and NEC supervisor at Mott MacDonald said the panel was delighted with the quality of the entries and the public’s enthusiasm.
“This year’s competition showcases some notable examples of civil engineering in Wales. It is great to see such a wide diversity of entries and entrant backgrounds,” he said.
“The photographs contribute to raising awareness of the industry and the fascinating structures found in Wales. We look forward to this competition growing further next year.”
Winners, all shortlisted photos, and a virtual gallery of all entries are available on the ICE Wales Cymru website.
