UF Concrete Canoe

Each year, students from the University of Florida’s College of Engineering work together to create a canoe made from one of the most remarkable materials: concrete. The UF Concrete Canoe team competes in the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC) held in mid-June, where teams are judged on their technical design paper, presentation, competitive race times, and the overall final product. Roughly 250 university teams compete worldwide to qualify for the NCCC. Year after year, the University of Florida’s Concrete Canoe team has proven to be a strong competitor, placing within the top 5 universities seven (7) times within the past 10 years. Creating a canoe that common belief says should not float is a year-long endeavor. To develop a national winning product the UF team follows a thorough process of hull design, concrete chemistry, construction, visual aesthetic design, and extensive paddling training. To this end, two project managers oversee 10 team leads who are responsible for these different components of the 2019 Concrete Canoe. Concrete Canoe at the University of Florida gives students from varying engineering disciplines an opportunity to get involved in a process that provides hands-on experience, taking what is learned in the classrooms to the next level. Furthermore, real-world experience is earned as students are constantly challenged on a daily basis to develop effective communication and efficient time management skills, as they encounter opportunities to collaborate, innovate, manage budgets, and meet hard deadlines.