About:

The Drexel University Concrete Canoe Team is a student run organization. Every year we strive to design and fabricate a concrete canoe using the latest concrete technologies to race in the annual ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition. All proceeds received through Kickstarter, Inc. will help us purchase the supplies and materials needed to make the most advanced canoe in our region.

Mission:

Drexel University’s Concrete Canoe team will serve its members by providing the appropriate resources to fabricate a functioning canoe made of concrete. Additionally, it allows students to get out of the classroom and learn from hands on experience giving them the appropriate engineering skills to be successful in the corporate world.

Description:

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) hosted the first Concrete Canoe Competition 26 years ago.Today hundreds of schools across the country participate in the competition, designing, fabricating, and racing all aspiring to be number one in the country.It’s a competition that challenges students to work together as a team and testing their engineering skillset.

The competition is judged by a panel of civil engineers recognized by the ASCE in four categories: Display, Technical Paper, Oral Presentation, and Races.

Display:Each team establishes a theme at the beginning of the year and has to integrate that theme into the four aspects of their display.Those four aspects are the table display, the cross section display, the canoe stand(s) and the canoe itself.Essentially the display is a visual report that emphasizes the process and materials used to fabricate the canoe.

2012-2013 Concrete Jungle Display

2012-2013 Conference Display Table showcases the work we did over the past year

Technical Paper: This is a formal paper that conveys the work of students throughout the entire year.It documents the process that we took, supporting evidence of why we did what we did, and an analysis that proves our product is structurally sound.

Oral Presentation: Each team is given 5 minutes to present their process to the panel of judges.This allows students to get up in front of the judges and emphasize the unique methods and innovative ideas they came up with to construct their final product.

Races: Each team is required to do a swamp test before racing.Each boat is filled completely with water and then submerged, only boats that rise back out of the water pass.This is to ensure the safety of the students.After passing the swamp test, there are a total of 5 races: Men’s Sprint, Women’s Sprint, Men’s Endurance, Women’s Endurance, and the Co-ed Sprint.Yes, that’s right, these Concrete Canoes float with four people in them! In order to come out on top, a team must excel in all aspects of the competition. One non-podium finish and you can kiss your team’s chances goodbye.

Process:

Following the strict guidelines made by the National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC), teams work for an entire year, from the time one competition ends to very moments before the next begins.The physical shape of the canoe is a key aspect to design.Again, it needs to abide by the NCCC standards but still meet the needs of the paddlers.A variety of different load cases are calculated in order to design the concrete mix.This year’s team will use Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) to ensure that the canoe will succeed regardless of loading conditions.As for the concrete mix, it has to be strong enough to handle the max loading scenario of four paddlers, while also trying to stay as light as possible.Weight and strength are directly proportional, so the heavier the concrete is the stronger it is.Therefore, our team will work hard to find a happy medium and overcome the problem of heavy concrete that sinks.

Before Pour Day, the team has to develop several key items to make construction possible.The mold needs to sit on a strong back, which is a table that can withstand the weight of all the concrete.A tent needs to be constructed to contain the tremendous mess that will be made.Also, before pour day, the team strives to complete the display items including the table display, the canoe stands, and the cross section.Finally, the team has to design a safe, reliable method to transport the final product to the location of the competition. Here is a time lapse of last years canoe casting.

Demolding of last year's canoe "Urban Legend".

The final steps taken before competition are putting on the aesthetics.The canoe is dyed, the final touches to the table display are added, and some flare is added to the presentation.All of these items revolve around a central theme.Last year’s theme was Concrete Jungle, which represented the struggle between the natural world and the need for urban development.This year, the team has decided on the fun them of Amusement Park! Since this is a competition we don’t want to give any secrets away, leaving it up to your imagination.

Theme Design for "Urban Legend"

Being able to design a final product that will win the competition will be a long and difficult process, but our team is ready to dedicate both our time and your contributions to get there!

WE NEED MONEY:

Our team might be able to put the man hours together to win this competition, but we need your investment to really get us to the goal of first place. There are many items that we put our sponsor’s contributions towards.This is a list of just a few of those items:

-Tools (Saws, Drills, Nuts & Bolts)

-Concrete Supplies (Cement, Aggregate, Admixtures)

-Wood for Construction

-Transportation/Competition Costs

Every contribution, big or small, is appreciated and your donation will not go unnoticed. Depending on the amount given you will receive a special gift from the team with some pretty neat stuff. All donation values are shown on the right side of the screen. Please take the time to look at the awesome rewards we are offering!

A CONCRETE shot glass is one of the many awesome rewards you can get! It's FOOD SAFE and only $5. Get it colored for $10!!

If we do not reach out goal then we will not get the money and our project will that much more difficult to complete.

Questions:

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Project Manager, Chris Magruder. His contact information is on the right hand side of the screen.