ASCE Concrete Canoe

Acknowledgements

Project Advisor: Michael Yost, P.E.

Technical Advisors:
Jeffrey Holley, P.E., F.ASCE
Andres Guerra, P.E., PhD
Lori Tunstall, PhD
Ahmedreza Hedayat, PhD

Donations Made by: Kiewit Cooperation, Jergensen Construction, the Colorado School of Mines ASCE Student Chapter, Martin Marietta, Solomon Colors, Wells Concrete, and Arcosa Lightweight

Video

Elevator Pitch

Ambitious, energetic, powerful and dependent; dragons are the true embodiment of strength in the face of adversity. Colorado School of Mines students and people across the globe truly faced an unprecedented challenge through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The CSM 2021 Concrete Canoe Team agreed upon one thing: this year’s competition would look significantly different, and with greater challenges not faced in the history of the Concrete Canoe Competition. The only way to succeed during unprecedented times is to have a balanced relationship between force, passion, safety, and innovation. In a nod to a challenging year full of growth, the CSM Concrete Canoe Team chose the name Statera, the direct Latin translation of balance.

The achievements of past CSM canoe teams encouraged this year’s team to continue to seek success through perseverance, innovation and determination. Mimicking the successful team structure of previous years, leaders were elected to manage the major subsystems that go into a canoe design. Despite a new competition format, the team recognized the opportunity to place more emphasis on material testing and developing better data management practices in the hope of furthering the legacy at CSM.

The chosen Enhanced Focus Areas (EFA) of Lab Material Testing and a Team Website were chosen to optimize the value added to Statera’s proposal. While the Team Website was geared towards creating an accessible and understandable platform that future teams can reference back to, the Lab Material Testing EFA instilled confidence in Statera’s mix design values and allowed for detailed, data-based aesthetic decisions. Together, these areas developed a larger mix design database and organized the team’s data for years to come. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team had limited access to previous resources and needed to come up with an innovative solution to pour and cure tests in the best possible work space without access to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The CSM Concrete Canoe Team also created a well thought out lab testing and construction process. The team was determined to create a repeatable construction process focused on details and innovation, that not only ensured safety and quality, but instilled confidence in this year’s team, values, and procedures.

Many challenges were faced and lessons learned as the team navigated the unknown. The successes of the last three years proved Mines has the capacity to spread its wings and fly above the clouds. In hopes that many dragons will soon be seen cutting through the waters at the ASCE Society Wide Competition, Statera compiled extensive mix design research and a lasting Team Website that will provide the building blocks for future successes at CSM.

Statera embraces its Latin roots in the design and approach of the canoe to erect a mesmerizing dragon. Gliding through the water with the full-force of such a creature, its speed and agility are unmatched. With a hull that provides 2.93 inches of freeboard when the maximum load is met, yet a shape that accentuates paddling efficiency, Statera is a boat no other canoe dare challenge.

Design Approach

Design Solution

Hull Design & Aesthetics
This year’s concrete canoe design focused on trying unique ideas not done by previous CSM teams. The final design used a female mold made out of white insulation foam with carved designs and lined with shrink wrap. The shrink wrap not only allows for an easier removal, but it also creates a smooth and shiny surface that requires much less sanding. The carved sections included scales and a dragon eye that are cast in small strips that will extrude from the canoe when finished creating a unique design and texture. The female mold allowed for more controlled casting and a better exterior finish. The final hull dimensions are 222” long (18.5’), a max of 18” tall, and a max of 28” wide.

Mix Design
From the rounds of testing, the following materials were selected for the final mix design: expanded shale structural lightweight aggregate, polypropylene and cellulose fibers, red, blue and black pigments, Type I/II Portland Cement, Fly Ash Type F, Ultrafine Fly Ash, Silica Fume, and liquid and powder air entrainers. After refining the mix design in rounds 4 and 5, the final mix design achieved a low density, low weight, high strength mix. The final mix design achieved a compressive strength of 1,350psi at a unit weight of 83.5pcf, water to cementitious ratio of 0.50, and an air content of 27.5%. To increase the tensile capacity of the canoe, the team used a fiberglass mesh, and mix of polypropylene and cellulose fibers. The fibers were meticulously dispersed in the mix, and the fiberglass mesh was placed between two layers of the casted concrete for reinforcement.

Next Steps

The CSM Concrete Canoe Team competed in the Rocky Mountain Student Conference in early April, and recieved first place in the canoe competition CSM also won the overall conference. The canoe team will be going to the Society-Wide Competition in late June, hosted virtually by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Although not able to build a full-scale prototype due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team will be casting the front half of the canoe, so that it can be cured and displayed in Coolbaugh Hall with previous teams’ canoes. Thanks to the help of our project advisor, technical advisors, and sponsor Kiewit, our team feels we have performed as best as we could have this year given the extenuating circumstances. We have each dedicated so much of our time and effort to the project and are extremely proud of what we have accomplished.

Meet the Team