Each year the Competition’s rules and regulations are modified and updated in an effort to improve innovation and creativity amongst the student participants. Many changes focus on such things as materials and percentages, but this year’s competition also includes a limitation on the dimensions of the canoes with a maximum width of 20 feet and the width of the canoe at the widest point along the gunwale must be between 28 and 32 inches. The focus of the competition is to challenge teams to design and build concrete canoes that adhere to a set of rigid engineering specifications, many of which deal with the concrete mix designs. For example, teams are not allowed to use pre-mixed or pre-packaged concrete, mortar or grout mixtures, and must create their “formulas of success” using cementitious materials such as Portland cement, slag cement and/or fly ash as the primary binding medium. Depending on which binding materials are used, certain required amounts must be met: 60 percent portland cement and 15 percent fly ash, 30 percent portland cement and 25 percent slag cement, or 50 percent portland cement, 15 percent fly ash and 25 percent slag cement. All percentages are based on weight. Other requirements include the mandatory use of air-entraining admixtures and limits on the amount of water—represented by a maximum water-to-cementitious material ratio of 0.50. Competition regulations also require that a minimum of 25 percent of the total weight of the concrete be comprised of aggregate that meets the gradation requirements of ASTM C33 fine aggregate. All materials used on the canoe must be environmentally safe. To maintain the structural integrity of the canoe, reinforcing materials such as welded-wire mesh, carbon fiber mesh and fiber reinforced plastics are incorporated into the design. The aesthetics of the canoe can be enhanced through the use of acid strains and/or integrally colored concrete (dyes added to the concrete mixture), and the application of lettering featuring the name of the school and canoe. The canoe is typically waterproofed using a concrete sealer. The requirement for specified amounts of aggregate and pozzolans, such as fly ash and slag cement, challenges the teams to modify their concrete mixtures in an attempt to develop a relatively lightweight concrete that demonstrates sufficient strength and durability to withstand the intensity of the races. These modifications to this year’s rules and regulations typically yield a lighter canoe than last year. The average weight for canoes competing in this year’s competition is 210 pounds, with the Academic Requirements (Design Paper, Oral Presentation and Final Product) A panel of five judges, made up of engineers from industry with extensive knowledge of concrete technology, evaluate each team in several academic events. Prior to the competition, each team must submit a technical design paper that highlights the planning, development, testing and construction of their canoe. During the competition, the teams conduct a five-minute oral presentation, in which they detail the canoe’s design, construction, racing ability and other innovative features. The presentation is followed by a question and answer period. The workmanship, overall aesthetics and name selection of the canoe is judged in the Final Product category. Each canoe is officially weighed in and must be within 10 pounds of the weight listed on the Compliance Certificate. They must also be able to pass a basic buoyancy test. In addition, each team prepares a product display to showcase items such as their cutaway section, concrete and aggregate samples, reinforced composite plates and an Engineer’s Notebook to document the project. The Races One of the highlights of the competition is race day, where the teams put their canoes and paddlers to the test in number of race events. These include a series of 200-meter sprints (men’s tandem, women’s tandem and 4-person co-ed), as well as 600-meter slaloms (men’s trio and women’s trio). Eligibility A team qualifies for the national competition as a first place winner, or designated alternate, at one of the 18 Conference Concrete Canoe Competitions, or as the host school of the national competition. The host school may compete during the current year, or delay entry until the following year. The second place winner in a conference competition is also invited to compete nationally if that conference’s first place winner placed among the top five winners in the previous year’s national competition. A team may register up to 5 male and 5 female students to participate in the national competition. Participants must be engineering students in the 2006-2007 academic year, and must have contributed to the canoe’s design and construction. Overall Scoring Scoring for the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition is divided into four components: • Design paper 25 percent Awards A total of $9,000 in academic scholarships is awarded to the undergraduate civil engineering programs of the top three winning teams’ schools. The top three schools receive scholarships in the following amounts: • First place overall winning team--$5,000 scholarship and a trophy Plaques are also awarded to the fourth and fifth place overall winners, and to first place winners in nine individual categories including: • Best design paper Rules Scoring and Awards The team with the best time in the co-ed sprint race receives a plaque in honor of R. John Craig, a former ASCE Committee on Student Services member, who was a driving force behind the first ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition. Craig passed away a few months before seeing his dream come to fruition. A special plaque in honor of Anthony (Tony) P. Chrest, a champion of the concrete canoe competitions on both the regional and national level, is awarded to the team that demonstrates superior and creative use of technology and materials in the construction of their concrete canoe. The winner of this award is selected by BASF. In addition, a special plaque is awarded, by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), to the team that demonstrates excellence in concrete canoe design through the use of basic design principles for unconventional applications. The winner of this award is selected by ACI. Ribbons are awarded to the teams finishing second through fifth in each individual event, and each team receives a commemorative plaque for their participation. All registered team members receive a certificate of participation. For more information contact Joan Buhrman at 703-295-6406 or 571-213-3812 (cell phone), or Kelly Mawby at 216-839-7071 or 216-780-5964 (cell phone). Information can also be obtained at http://content.asce.org/inside/nccc2007/. The National Concrete Canoe Competition is organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and is funded by the generous support of BASF, with additional sponsorship provided by theAmerican Concrete Institute, Baker Concrete Construction, Inc., Bentley Systems, Incorporated, Holcim (US) Inc., Norchem, ICS Penetron, Pennoni Associates Inc., Propex Concrete Systems and U.S. Silica Company. This year's event is hosted by the University of Washington. |
