UC Berkeley Secures First Concrete Canoe Victory Since 1992

Despite the clouds, thunder and occasional lightning, the University of California, Berkeley has captured the 'America's Cup of Civil Engineering' at the American Society of Civil Engineers' National Concrete Canoe Competition in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Their fifth title in the competition's 22 year history and their first championship since 1992, Berkeley's 230-pound, 20-foot-long canoe, the Bear Area, defeated entries from 21 other top engineering schools. The team's closest competitors were École de technologie supérieure and the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, which placed second and third, respectively. The event, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and hosted by the University of Alabama, was made possible by the support of the American Concrete Institute; Baker Concrete Construction; World of Concrete; and Holcim (US) Inc.

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National Competition

The ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC) provides students with a practical application of the engineering principles they learn in the classroom, along with important team and project management skills they will need in their careers.  The event challenges the students' knowledge, creativity and stamina, while showcasing the versatility and durability of concrete as a building material.

Each year, the NCCC, which is held in mid-June, is hosted by an ASCE Student Organization.  Teams qualify for the NCCC by placing first in one of the 18 conference competitions held throughout the United States during the spring.  Teams placing second in a conference competition behind a university that finished in the top five at the previous year's national competition are also invited.  To be eligible to compete the entrant school must be a recognized ASCE Student Chapter or ASCE International Student Group.

The winners of the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition are determined by compiling the team's total number of points from the academic and race portions of the competition.  Academic scholarships totaling $9,000 are awarded to the winning teams' undergraduate civil engineering program.

Selection of the academic scholarship winner(s) is determined by the local ASCE Student Organization.  The scholarship must be be used toward satisfying tuition reimbursements only, and can not be used to fund current or future Concrete Canoe competitions.  ASCE must be notified in writing of the academic scholarship winner(s) prior to the distribution of funds to the recipients.

Competition awards are distributed as follows:

1st place overall winner   $5,000 scholarship & trophy

2nd place overall winner   $2,500 scholarship & trophy

3rd place overall winner   $1,500 scholarship & trophy

4th place overall winner   commemorative plaque

5th place overall winner   commemorative plaque

Special plaques are also awarded to the top team in the following individual categories:

Best design paper

Best oral presentation

Best final product

Men's slalom/endurance race

Women's slalom/endurance race

Men's sprint race

Women's sprint race

Spirit of Competition

Special plaques are also given in honor of:

R. John Craig - former ASCE Committee on Student Services member who was a driving force behind organization of the National Concrete Canoe Competition - to the team that has the fastest time in the coed race.

Appropriate awards shall be presented to teams finishing second through fifth in each individual competition event.  Each team receives a commemorative plaque for their participation in the National Concrete Canoe Competition, and all ten official team members receive a certificate of participation.