Built For Purpose Awards

Celebrating infrastructure projects that strengthen communities and showcase the lasting value of precast concrete.

Launched by the National Precast Concrete Association, the inaugural Built for Purpose Awards recognize projects delivering meaningful impact through resilience, sustainability, durability and innovation.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, these awards spotlight the infrastructure helping prepare communities for the next 250 years.

NPCA announced the shortlist of honorees at the 61st Annual Convention in Reno, Nevada. The gold, silver and bronze award recipients will be selected from this list and announced at The Precast Show on Feb. 3, 2027, in Salt Lake City.

• Alcrete – REEFLINE Project, Phase 1, which used 22 life-sized precast cars arranged in an underwater “traffic jam” to reflect the resilience of nature against human impact. Cast in marine-grade concrete and seeded with 2,200 corals, the project uses precast to build a manmade reef in Miami, Florida.
• Concrete Express, Inc. (CEI) – Clear Creek Trail: Huntsman Gulch Segment, which transformed an extremely constrained portion of Clear Creek Canyon just outside Golden, Colorado, into a safe, accessible trail corridor, using precast to overcome extraordinary site constraints and expand public access to one of Jefferson County’s most distinctive natural environments.
• Deihl Vault & Precast – 137^th St. Elevator project which manufactured a custom precast concrete elevator shaft for a major accessibility improvement project within the New York City transit system.
• Gainey’s  – Goodbee Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, developed an all-precast modular concrete wastewater treatment system tailored to meet the demands of an aging treatment system in Mandeville, Louisiana, while longer-term plans for a regional facility were being coordinated.
• Gainey’s – Lake Lure Pump Station Restoration, which helped stem an environmental emergency caused by Hurricane Helene in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Preast concrete was used to repair a damaged sewer pump station that was discharging thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater into the lake, necessitating a restoration of service and protection of the ecosystem.
• Jensen Infrastructure – Shine Creek Fish Passage project, which installed sophisticated culvert systems in Port Ludlow, Washington, designed to restore salmon and steelhead fish passage by replacing deteriorating pipes with massive, modern, environmentally focused systems, while respecting a federal injunction tied to Native American tribal treaties.
• Permatile Concrete Products Company – TDOT Route 321 Restoration Project in Butler, Tennessee, which restored residents’ access to their schools, hospitals, homes and jobs after Hurricane Helene washed out this critical infrastructure. The approach used on the project also ensured the road would not fail again in the event of a future flooding event.
• Pre-Con Products – Adventure Park Multi-Benefit Stormwater Capture Project, which is a 13-foot tall underground vault assembled of more than 1,400 precast concrete elements, capable of holding 6.4 million gallons of stormwater in unincorporated Los Angeles County, critical for intercepting runoff and also supporting sanitary sewer treatment and reuse downstream.
• Velpont Bridges (Aster Brands) – Blake Hill Road Bridge project, which replaced an aging bridge in Mount Vernon, Maine, restoring safe, reliable access to the community and which now allows for critical vehicles – including emergency vehicles, school buses and more – to cross and provide critical services.

Purpose-Driven Projects Deserve Recognition

From stormwater systems and transportation infrastructure to environmental restoration and community improvements, Built for Purpose honors projects where precast concrete plays a critical role in solving real-world challenges.

Award distinctions include:

• Gold – One winner
• Silver – Up to three winners
• Bronze – Up to five winners
• Honorable Mentions – Unlimited

Winning projects will receive:

• National industry recognition
• Promotion through NPCA publications and communications
• Recognition at The Precast Show 2027
• Featured placement on the Built for Purpose microsite

Key Dates

• Entries Open: June 1, 2026
• Submission Deadline: Aug. 31, 2026
• Winners Announced: Feb. 3–5, 2027, at The Precast Show