Sunday, February 26, 2012

Concrete racing canoe competition?

The National Concrete Canoe Competition is a contest held in the US sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).  Different student teams compete against one another and plaques are presented for the winners in:

·         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


In addition, 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


As stated on the ASCE’swebsiteThe 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 used toward satisfying tuition reimbursements only, and cannot 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.”



Students learn much about concrete, team building, and –in general- have fun being involved in this project.  You might be surprised, concrete canoes are pretty fast!



Personally, I still prefer a Led Zeppelin to a Concrete Canoe.

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