Concrete Canoe Team Competes Nationally

For the fourth consecutive year, the Fairmont State University American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Club has won the ASCE Regional Virginia's Conference Concrete Canoe Competition, which was held on the campus of the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. This is the sixth consecutive year that FSU has competed in the competition.

The Fairmont State team won first place in eight of the nine awards given for the concrete canoe competition, which include a technical paper, oral presentation, concrete product and display, five canoe races and overall performance. FSU also received third place in the geotechnical competition.

Eleven other regional schools participated in the regional competition: West Virginia University, WVU Institute of Technology, Bluefield State College, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Old Dominion, Virginia Military Institute, Catholic University of America, George Washington University and George Mason University.

FSU team captains Timothy Windland and Mike Brown will lead their team and represent Fairmont State and the region at the invitation-only ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition hosted by the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., on June 14-16. Other participating team members include Kara Cunningham, Marcella Dantzler, Stephanie Slaubaugh, Bruce Degroot, Shawn Fleming, Jeff Bonoventura, John Brown, Kenneth Harvey, Robert Jeffries, David Starling, Jamie Davis, Jason Miller, Kimmer Cline, Matthew Yearlsey, Dee Gibson, Jennifer Smith and Edwin Seal.

The canoe was named "The Fighting Falcon" in honor of the FSU mascot, but the theme used to produce a champion product was "Top Gun." The "Top Gun" theme showed up in the wings that extend off the canoe to the landing gear incorporated into the stands. The color scheme was a white with maroon, gold and black outlays and inlays showcasing the FSU colors. The concrete outlays were designed to simulate the F-16 Thunderbird design. The concrete inlays represent the school mascot, uniting the team's theme and the boat's name. Measuring 19 feet 11 inches from bow to stern, with a width of 31 ¾ inches at the widest point and a depth of 1 foot, the canoe flew through the water. The hull is on average ½ inch thick, and the concrete density measured 55.94 pcf. The total weight of the canoe is about 200 pounds. A grant permitted the innovative use of the Intelli-Rock system, allowing the team to obtain immediate and long-term strength and humidity correlations via encased sensors.

"Our ASCE Student Club would like to thank all of their sponsors who assisted them with this year's effort," said Tia Como, P.E., the club's faculty adviser.

"These students have worked so hard this year and created a canoe that surpassed all of the schools in our region. I can't express enough how proud I am of all the hard work they have done. I know the community will get behind this winning team and help them rise to the technical and financial challenge of nationals."

The Fairmont State ASCE Student Club will accept gifts through the Fairmont State Foundation Inc. to support their participation in the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition in June. To make a gift, mail checks made payable to the Fairmont State Foundation Inc. to Fairmont State Foundation Inc., ASCE Concrete Canoe, 1201 Locust Ave., Fairmont, WV 26554. To make a gift by phone, call Chris Morgan, Director of Foundation Operations and Finances, at (304) 367-4788 or toll free at (800) 372-2586. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The Fairmont State club will be assisting WVU IT with next year's regional event, which is planned for April 10-12, 2008, in Summersville. Volunteers throughout the state are needed.

The ASCE Student Club will host its fifth annual summer technical conference on the FSU main campus on Thursday, June 7. The theme for this year's event is "Who Said You Can't Do It That Way." The conference will offer the professional community the opportunity to earn six professional development hours and a chance to set up a corporate display showcasing their successes. A variety of speakers are planned, and table displays are being sought. For more information or to register, call Como at (304) 367-4629 or e-mail her at tiacomo@fairmontstate.edu.

The FSU club won the Most Outstanding Student Club Award from ASCE National this year, marking the fifth time in the last six years that the club has won this prestigious award.