Universities from across the United States and Canada are gearing up for a concrete canoe race due to take place this June in Texas.
A test of engineering prowess and physical ability, the race is the brainchild of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), who first ran the event in 1988. The 2016 nationals will be held at the University of Texas at Tyler, with the winning group awarded $5,000 in scholarship money.
According to the ASCE, the goal of the competition is to provide civil engineering students with an opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience and leadership skills by working with concrete mix designs and project management. Canoes can have a maximum length of 22 feet, and maximum width of 36 inches.
In order to float, the canoes need to be less dense than water. To achieve this, concrete mixes with higher ratios of water are used, as well as techniques such as adding latex to the mix. There are extensive rules dictating the type of concrete mixes allowed, and boats have to pass rigorous flotation tests before being allowed to race.
Students are also required to provide an “Engineer’s Notebook” at the competition with all technical design details, as well as deliver oral presentations. In total, 75 per cent of points on offer come from academic judging, with race results determining the remaining 25 per cent.
The racing itself consists of separate men and women’s sprint (200m) and endurance (600m) races, as well as a co-ed sprint (400m). Last year’s winning team came from the University of Florida.
Great idea to combine design and use of a product. I recall (just happening to be on-site at the time) being invited to assist in the ‘marking’ of an exercise at one of the US ‘textile’ universities. Third year students had the responsibility to design a yarn/fabric/garment that would fulfil the requirements of a brief set by the major US textile firm. They had to develop all the processes, but just as important manage the ‘staff’ [first and second year students] who were the operatives of the necessary machinery: which they also had to ‘production control, schedule, quality manage. A truely ‘real’ exercise in total industrial liaison. Finally, they had to ‘pitch’ their product to the client: and have it accepted. I am sure there are ideas and lessons here: I often read (indeed know) of the mis-match between what is taught in Engineering courses and the real world of Engineering management: here is an excellent way to link such directly?
“In order to float, the canoes need to be less dense than water.”
Call me old-fashioned, but isn’t there something about displacement of water due to shape…being the reason that bodies that are made from materials heaver than water will ‘float’? As we are about to receive the second steel-made white elephant to carry the as-yet untried aircraft that will singe their decks if and when they ‘land’ (should that be sea…) would be good to get some confirmation of this? Actually in the hydraulics and civil engineering labs at Exeter University are several ‘canoes’ made from Concrete. These float but are extremely ‘heavy’ to move about in air!