Fleming Award Event 2026

Overview

The Fleming Award event is held annually to recognise excellence in the practical application of geotechnics in a project.

The competition prize is awarded by the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) to the project team that demonstrates quality in geotechnical design and construction.

Submitting teams typically include representatives from clients, main contractors, consulting engineers and specialist contractors. There is an emphasis on teamwork and innovation across the different disciplines involved in the project. The prize commemorates the life and work of Dr Ken Fleming, who was chief engineer at Cementation Skanska Foundation. 

This year's competition opened in September, and three finalists will be selected to present their projects at The Fleming Award event on 01 December 2026. 

At the event:

Each team will give a short presentation (about 20 minutes with 5 minutes of questions afterwards).

After their presentations, Stuart Norman CEng FICE, Chair of the Federation of Piling Specialists and Director of Hiperpile Ltd, will deliver his lecture while the judges deliberate, entitled For Failure’s Sake: What seven years of developing the Hiper solution taught us about innovation, resilience and teamwork.

In his lecture, Stuart will reflect on the lessons learned during the development of the Hiperpile solution, highlighting how failure, resilience and teamwork can be key drivers of successful innovation in construction.

The Fleming Award winner will then be announced and presented with the £1,000 prize, sponsored by Cementation Skanska

Following the presentations, join us for a drinks reception and networking session, offering an excellent opportunity to continue the conversation and connect with fellow industry professionals.

Programme