ABOUT US
Concrete Canoe is a project for undergraduate students. The project consists of designing, constructing, presenting and racing a canoe made of concrete. Competitions for Concrete Canoe began in 1971, and the first National Concrete Canoe Competition was hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1988. In order to participate in the national competition, teams must qualify by placing first in their respective regions. Rules for the competition are released annually in the Fall, regional competitions are hosted throughout the school year, and the national competition is usually held near the beginning of summer.
There are four main aspects to the project. Each category is weighted equally in the national concrete canoe competition. The categories for scoring are Design Paper, Final Product, Oral Presentation, and Races.
There are four main aspects to the project. Each category is weighted equally in the national concrete canoe competition. The categories for scoring are Design Paper, Final Product, Oral Presentation, and Races.
Design PaperEach team must submit a technical design paper which includes everything from project management to mix design and construction. A design drawing, schedule, appendices, and title page are just some of the other requirements for the design paper. Deductions are assessed for papers that are incorrectly formatted, as detailed by the national concrete canoe rules.
Below is a list of past design papers from the UCLA Concrete Canoe Team. 2018 - La Sirena 2017 - The Jabberwock 2016 - El Fey 2015 - Arcturus 2014 - Imperia 2013 - Meridian 2012 - Hakuna Matata 2011 - Rock the Boat 2010 - Premiere 2009 - Neptune |
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Final ProductThe final product category is judged on display day of the competition. This category is judged based on the quality of the finished canoe, a themed display table, and a cutaway representation of the team’s concrete canoe construction process. All stands and tables must meet required dimensions and are usually constructed such that they match the theme of the canoe. Cutaways display the entire process from mold construction to final sanding and staining.
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Oral PresentationEach team is required to give a presentation within the specified time. Presentations may be done using any presentation medium the team decides to utilize. Following the presentation, each team is required to complete a round of questions from the competition judges. Each judge typically has his/her own technical specialty. Presentations are judged based on both the quality of the presentation, as well as the ability of the team to answer questions both correctly and briefly.
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RacesRace day is perhaps the most exciting day of the competition. There are three types of races each team must complete: Endurance/Slalom, Sprint, and Co-Ed Sprint. For both the endurance and sprint races, there are both a two man tandem and two woman tandem race. This is a total of 5 different races, which combined make up the total race score. Sprint races have initial heats, which are then followed by both a grand and petite final. Endurance races are completed in a series of time trials completed by each team.
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