Welcome to the 2011 Northern Arizona University Concrete Canoe website!

In an attempt to enhance the skills and practical experience of undergraduate engineering students, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) hosts a national competition. The competition emphasizes on the design and construction of a concrete canoe, which must adhere to highly detailed specifications. The competition winnings include $5,000 for the club organization and national recognition. This project included several strict constraints such as an earlier than usual completion date of March 23rd and adherence to the 2011 NCCC rules and regulations. The team’s main goal of the project was to be completely sustainable not only in construction of the canoe, but the project in its entirety. To develop the concrete canoe, reinforced concrete design calculations were used  to determine the necessary concrete and reinforcement strengths. By applying ASTM Standards to test 20 concrete mixes the team developed a mix that utilized recycled materials, with a relatively high compressive strength, and unit weight less than water. The concrete mold was engineered to be completely reused as a practice canoe and carrying case. Ponderosa was given an enhanced competitive edge over other schools by implementing sustainable techniques.

Learn about this year's project in the following pages!

Project Description and Requirements