A Keller employee is set to compete against two others for the Institution of Civil Engineers' Tony Chapman Medal.

Engineer Kanan Garayev was named in the shortlist for the accolade, which promotes the role of newly qualified incorporated ICE members (IEng) and is given to the candidate with the best professional review.

Kanan, who is originally from Azerbaijan, graduated from University College, London, in 2016 with a first-call BEng Hons degree in Civil Engineering. He joined Keller as an industrial placement engineer in September 2016 and has since been promoted to contracts engineer.


He is responsible for the development, implementation and management of geotechnical projects, overseeing jobs from contract negotiation to completion. His role includes operational and commercial management of contracts, site supervision, project planning and the management of health, safety and quality.

Kanan's review was based on his work at the Thames Tideway project at Blackfriars in London. The Keller team was responsible for creating a watertight 55m deep, 22m diameter concrete-lined drop shaft for a tunnel boring machine using jet grouting.

The three shortlisted nominees will each be asked to give a further 10-minute presentation on a project they have been involved with to a judging panel followed by a 10-minute Q&A session.

The winner receives £500 and is presented with the Tony Chapman Medal at the ICE Annual Awards Ceremony later this year.

(CM/MH)