Tommie Civil Concrete Canoe Competition Club

Tommie Civil Concrete Canoe Competition Club:  Pushing Boundaries Through Innovation!

The Tommie Civil Concrete Canoe Competition Club offers students an exceptional opportunity to apply engineering principles in a unique, hands-on environment. 

Each year, teams of students compete in the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition, where the goal is to push the boundaries of material science to design, construct, and race a canoe made entirely of concrete.  

Teams must develop innovative concrete mixtures that are both lightweight and durable while meeting strict competition specifications. During the annual competition, teams showcase their engineering knowledge through technical presentations, display their craftsmanship through the quality of their final product, and demonstrate their canoe's performance in a series of thrilling sprint and endurance races against other universities.

Behind the Build: What Students Do

Club members work together over a series of months to refine their concrete mix design through extensive materials testing and analysis. Team members gain hands-on experience with concrete mix proportioning and forming technique, crafting molds for the canoe's hull and finishing it with aesthetic appeal and hydrodynamic efficiency. 

Students develop practical skills in materials science, structural analysis, project management, and construction techniques while working with industry-standard testing equipment and design software. The competition's multifaceted nature helps students build essential teamwork, leadership, and presentation abilities.