The Australasian Corrosion Association is pleased to announce the new name of the awards that will honour the best case studies presented at the Annual Conference. The “Les Boulton Case Study Award” appreciates the life and work of Les Boulton, who served the corrosion industry as a scientist and consultant for more than 50 years.
“I am honoured to agree to the Les Boulton Case Study Award being created. After 50 years as a member (now Life Member) of ACA, I am pleased that this legacy is to be named after me”, said Boulton. The scientist, who is now retired, also believes that case studies reporting the outcomes of the investigations are an important part of the transfer of technology to generations that follow. “Lessons learnt from a proper post-failure investigation should be passed on to younger scientists, engineers and architects so that any mistakes in design, materials selection and fabrication are not repeated in the future”, he finishes.
Les Boulton started his career in 1967 as a science teacher in Auckland. He worked as a lecturer and scientist for relevant institutions until 1995, when we opened his consultancy, focusing on materials and corrosion engineering. Boulton joined the ACA in 1972 and has been a valued member since then, leading the New Zealand branch and contributing to the organisation nationwide with 80 publications and four booklets issued.
The Case Study Award was introduced in 2017 to appreciate case studies issued in the Annual Conference proceedings or Corrosion & Materials. Each year at the conference, participants submit papers, which can be research or case studies.
The decision to have an award for the best Case Study reflects on the popularity of case studies presented at conferences as practical examples of successful results that are particularly relevant to the corrosion sector.