The H.W.H. West Award recognizes the best overall paper led by a graduate student, and this year’s honours go to:
Shreedhar KC, Aakash Basu, Laura Redmond, and Ece Erdogmus for their winning paper:
“Experimental Study on the Parameters Influencing Modulus of Rupture (MOR) for Masonry Beams and Comparison with Bond Wrench Testing”
Honourable mention was awarded to AbdelRahman AbdAllah, Belal AbdelRahman, and Khaled Galal for:
“Lateral Cyclic Behaviour of High-Aspect-Ratio Partially Grouted Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls with Bed Joint Reinforcement”
This award highlights the impact of emerging researchers advancing the future of masonry engineering through experimentation and analysis.
Celebrating Excellence: The H.W.H. West Award
The H.W.H. West Award is one of the most distinguished recognitions presented at the Canadian Masonry Symposium, celebrating the best overall paper led by a graduate student. At the 15th CMS, 13 papers were nominated, and 10 were selected as finalists, highlighting the exceptional quality of research being conducted by emerging scholars in the field of masonry.
This award honours the legacy of H.W.H. West, a foundational figure in masonry research and practice. As President of the British Masonry Society and a key liaison with The Masonry Society (TMS), Mr. West played a vital role in advancing international collaboration. His career began in 1954 with the British Ceramic Research Association, and over the decades, he authored more than 150 papers and three books covering topics such as masonry production, plant design, energy efficiency, durability, and structural strength. He also served as Honorary Secretary of the Building Material Section of the British Ceramic Society for 16 years until his passing in 1999.
The H.W.H. West Award continues to inspire and recognize graduate students whose work pushes the boundaries of masonry research and contributes meaningfully to the future of the industry.
