ASCE Sails Forward in Concrete Canoe Race

April 14, 2023

Utah State University’s College of Engineering has been working to draft, mold, cast, create and sail a canoe made of concrete for The American Society of Civil Engineers’ annual competition.

Every year, students in ASCE compete in a concrete canoe boat race. This year, 39 students will travel to Reno.

Every year, students in ASCE compete in a concrete canoe boat race. This year, 39 students will travel to Reno.

Brett Safely is a junior majoring in civil engineering.

“This is probably the biggest event of the year for us, outside of our actual conference,” Safely said. “It’s a good experience for any student. We’re particularly proud of the fact that we’re able to bring students from all across the program, so freshman to senior, and they’ve made valuable contributions.”

The students began working on the project back in August, and in April, they will take their canoe to Reno, Nevada, to compete.

In September, engineering students are given a packet of rules of around 70 pages, which outlines the proposal format, canoe dimensions and more.

“In the concrete mix, we were given some pretty strict details on what’s included,” Safely said. “All concrete is made of two and a half main parts, a binder and an aggregate.”

According to Safely, Portland cement will be their basis material this year.

This article is a snippet taken from the Utah Statesman. To read more, click this link External Link Icon .

###

Writer: Avery Truman, avery.truman@usu.edu

Contact: Austin Ball, austin.ball@usu.edu