What Concrete Society Membership Includes and How to Join

Concrete Society membership gives you access to impartial technical advice, a 40% discount on publications in the Concrete Bookshop, discounted training, and a members area that connects you to regions, events and a members directory. You join through the "Become a Member" page on concrete.org.uk. The details below come from the Society's own site, so use them to judge whether the benefits match what you need before you sign up.

What membership includes

The Society describes itself as an independent membership organisation that exists to promote knowledge and support the advancement of concrete. Membership is the route to most of its services.

Technical advice from the advisory team

Technical advisors provide prompt, impartial advice on concrete directly to members, and also through desk studies and site visits. Queries are submitted using the online Technical Enquiry Form. This is the clearest member-only benefit on the site: the advisory service is described as being available "directly to members."

40% off the Concrete Bookshop

The Concrete Bookshop stocks all Concrete Society publications plus selected guidance from other publishers, including the Concrete Bridge Development Group. Publications come as a combination of hard copy and digital download. Members enter their membership number at checkout to receive a 40% discount.

Discounted training

The Society is a CITB Approved Training Organisation and provides continuing professional development and training. Where a date is already set, you can book online; otherwise you can register interest and be told when a course becomes available. Members receive a discount on training.

Members area, regions, events and directory

The site lists a members area alongside regions, events, a members directory, news and awards. These are the community side of membership: local and regional contact, industry events, and a way to find other members.

Magazines and technical resources

The Society publishes two industry-leading magazines. Concrete magazine is published 10 times a year and is available to Society members. Technical content includes Technical Reports, Good Concrete Guides, Advice Sheets and the online Fingertips, a fully searchable bank of information on concrete and concrete construction. Fingertips also surfaces the Top 10 most popular entries and Featured Fingertips recommended by the advisory team.

Membership benefits at a glance

How to become a member

1. Go to concrete.org.uk and open the Become a Member page.
2. Review the membership information there and choose to join.
3. Complete the joining process on the site.
4. Once you have your membership number, keep it to hand: it is what you enter at the Bookshop checkout for the 40% discount, and it is how you access member pricing on training.

The site does not publish membership grades, subscription prices or a step-by-step application form in the material available here, so check the Become a Member page itself for current categories, costs and any eligibility conditions before you commit.

Deciding whether it fits

Membership makes most sense if you expect to use more than one benefit. A few realistic cases:

• You buy technical publications regularly. A 40% discount on bookshop orders, including other publishers' guidance, can matter quickly if you are building a reference shelf.
• You need answers on a live project. Access to the advisory team through the Technical Enquiry Form, with desk studies and site visits mentioned, is the benefit that is hardest to replicate elsewhere.
• You want CPD. Training discounts plus CITB-approved courses suit people maintaining competence in concrete manufacture, use and application.
• You want the community. Regions, events and the members directory are useful if local contacts and industry networking are part of why you are joining.

If you only need a single publication or a one-off course, compare the member discount against the non-member price first; the site does not state non-member prices, so check the bookshop and training pages for both figures.

Common sticking points

• The discount needs your membership number. The 40% bookshop discount is applied by entering your membership number at checkout, so have it ready before you order.
• Training dates vary. Some courses are scheduled and bookable online; others are only open for expressions of interest. Registering interest is the way to find out when a course runs.
• Advice is member-facing. The advisory service is described as being provided directly to members, so non-members should not expect the same access.
• Check current terms on the site. Prices, membership categories and course availability are not fixed in the material here; confirm them on concrete.org.uk before joining or booking.