After strong showings in the 2013 and 2014 regional competitions, CU-Boulder’s concrete canoe team experienced something of a “rebuilding year” this past spring.
“When we put the canoe in the water, someone stepped in and punctured a hole in it,” said new team captain Victoria Wallis, a senior architectural engineering major. “We ended up finding a giant piece of foam and unravelling about six rolls of Gorilla Tape with the help of every other team to get it back in the water.”
The competition, which is sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), challenges student chapters to build a concrete canoe that can stay afloat when filled with water. Once they pass that test, teams are judged on the weight of the canoe, the creativity of their theme and their performance in races.
Even with the emergency repairs, Wallis said their canoe only made it a few hundred yards before it disintegrated. On the plus side, it’s given this year’s team the chance to do what engineers do best – solve problems.
“We learned some good lessons about how we need to interact with the (CEAE) department to get the space and equipment we need,” Wallis said. “Our goal is to start a lot earlier this year.”
At the first meeting of the ASCE chapter, which includes the concrete canoe and steel bridge teams, more than 50 students showed up, which was good news for Wallis.
“We’re starting to build a chapter that’s a lot more sustainable,” she said.
This year, Wallis said the team has built in plenty of time to test concrete mixes in the structures lab and refine their CAD design. Then, they will build a mold, pour their concrete and sand the boat before winter break. That will give the concrete time to cure and allow the team plenty of time to decorate.
Wallis added that there is still plenty of time for interested students to get involved with the team. To be added to their mailing list, email asce@colorado.edu. The team generally meets biweekly on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in ECCR 200.