Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge Teams to Compete
The Fairmont State University American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter is preparing for the upcoming 2009 Regional Virginia's Conference in April.
The conference brings together 13 schools from West Virginia, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and provides students a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience by competing in many engineering-related competitions. Two of the competitions, the Concrete Canoe Competition and the Steel Bridge Design and Construction Competition, offer the opportunity to move up to compete at the national level. FSU's ASCE Student Chapter received invitations to both national competitions in 2008.
The Virginia's Conference will take place April 16-18 at the Wyndham Hotel at Virginia Beach and will be hosted by Old Dominion University.
The concrete canoe races will be held at the First Landing National State Park on Saturday, April 18. National invitations will be extended to the first place concrete canoe team, and up to three places can potentially be awarded to the steel bridge teams depending on the number of entries. Additional on-site competitions include problem solving, surveying, environmental, Hardy Cross Oral Presentation, Marr Technical Paper, concrete bowling, sand castle structure and spirit of the competition.
FSU has competed in the regional concrete canoe competition for the past seven years and has represented the region at the National Concrete Canoe Competition the last five years, with a 20th place finish last year in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best showing at the national venue was grasped in Clemson, S.C., in 2005 when FSU placed 12th in the nation with "Consistent C-33." FSU enjoyed two top five-national finishes: fourth place in the oral presentation and fifth place in the men's sprint race.Â
The concrete canoe competition is comprised of four main categories that are equally weighted: a technical paper, an oral presentation, the product and display and five races. The students must follow strict rules which dictate what their concrete matrix can consist of and, of course, the boat must float to be eligible for the races. A theme is selected and used at the team's discretion.Â
The 2009 FSU Concrete Canoe Team is being led by Charlie French, Captain, and Co-Captains, Tabitha Neuhauser and Brian Lake. Additional team members include Josh Smith, Jeremy Clark, Justin Tennant, Lauren Allan and Stephanie Slaubaugh.
Building on the traditions of previous teams, this year's team wanted to take a new, radical approach for their 2009 entry, "The Punisher." One of the team's main focuses this year was to improve the overall aesthetics, while reducing the weight of the canoe. Last year's entry, "Black Angel," weighed in at a hefty 260 pounds. Input from the paddlers confirmed that the heavier canoe took too long to get to top speed during the races.
"This year's Canoe Team is very young, but I am fully confident in their abilities," said ASCE Faculty Advisor Tia Como, P.E., FSU faculty member. "Their motivation and dedication have been remarkable. Most of our 2008 Steel Bridge team is returning with experience. With all they learned at nationals last year, this team is eager to win another title."
FSU captured the Regional Concrete Canoe title from Virginia Tech in 2004 and has held it ever since. In 2004, FSU made their first national appearance with "The Mayfield" in Washington, D.C. The 2006 team showcased "Got to Have It" in Stillwater, Okla., and in 2007, "The Fighting Falcon" took the long haul to Seattle, Wash.
Another challenge has now been realized by the FSU ASCE Student Chapter. The team's 2009 Steel Bridge design is already lighter than Virginia Tech's 2008 bridge which placed third nationally last year in the category. Members of the FSU Steel Bridge team include Captain Kostas Fintrilis, Co-Captain Tony Clark and team members Josh White and John Lafferre.Â
The steel bridge rules are also very detailed; the design replicates a prototype of an actual steel bridge. The teams are required to build the bridge on-site over a simulated body of water in a timed construction event. The span is limited along with the size of each member. Upon completion, the bridge is loaded both vertically and laterally and the corresponding deflections are measured. The bridge is judged on overall weight, construction time, cost, efficiency, economy and deflection.Â
For more information on the 2009 Regional Virginia's Conference, visit http://www.oduasce.org/.
2009 FSU Concrete Canoe Team Captain Charlie French applies the finishing touch to the canoe form prior to pour day.
