Mel Marshall, P.Eng., was awarded the Robert E. Yoakum Award of Merit at the 42nd Annual Convention of the National Precast Concrete
Association convention, held October 23 to 27 in Maui, Hawaii. Since 1966, the Robert E. Yoakum Award of Merit has been presented
to NPCA members who have exhibited outstanding service and leadership to the industry and the association. It was the vision of Robert Yoakum to unite all types of precast concrete producers and suppliers into one group. This award is the highest honor the
National Precast Concrete Association can bestow upon a member..

Robert Yoakum was one of the original founders of NPCA and one of the people who worked to organize the first convention. Tragically, before the convention was scheduled to open in March 1966, he unexpectedly died - so he never lived to see his dream of an association. The small
group of convention attendees decided to carry on after that first convention and established the award as an honor and a tribute to Yoakum. The tradition has continued to this day as NPCA's highest honor. Only one other Canadian has received this award. It was presented many years ago to Douglas G Hoskins, one of the founders of the NPCA.

Mel has been actively involved in the design, manufacture and construction of concrete
products since graduating from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. Degree in civil engineering in 1960. He established Mel C. Marshall Industrial Consultants in 1980 as a
consulting company to the concrete and steel industry, which continues to serve the precast concrete and concrete pipe industry to this day. His company represents several leading suppliers of products to precasters and producers of concrete pip.
In 1998, Mel received the Merlin G. “lb” Spangler Award from the American Society for Testing Materials – ASTM C13 Committee. This award is given to a member or former member of ASTM C13 who has performed outstanding technical work in C13 activities. The “Spangler” Award was established in 1993 to honor Merlin G. Spangler who was a long-time C13 member. Spangler is internationally renowned for his work in developing the theory of loads and supporting strength of buried concrete pipe and other conduits from the early 1900s until his
death in 1992. Mel had the pleasure of participating in engineering seminars with Spangler.

Mel Marshall is the concrete pipe industry’s most widely known personality who represents
industry’s interests on government and association technical committees, while sharing his extensive knowledge of products and materials at schools and conferences as a speaker.