2016 Concrete Canoe Competition
The 22nd Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition was held on May 13-15, 2016, at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. The competition is a three-day event that hosts teams from all different academic backgrounds.
This competition is unique because students are given the chance to design, build, and actually compete in the canoe they create. This is a positive experience for the students because they must use skills they have learned in the classroom and combine that with hands-on applications.
FORTA Corporation employee, Dan Biddle, said:
“In our estimation, any competition that combines concrete with engineering students provides a gateway for learning about fiber reinforcement. These exercises provide students with an opportunity to study fiber technology in real applications and creates a platform to discover fiber options and benefits in real-world projects after graduation.”
FORTA Corporation donates enough fiber samples to accommodate the specific concrete batching for the canoes. Typically, each team will request several pounds and be provided with technical data and mixing instructions.
FORTA does not favor one team over another, but donates fibers to any team who requests the material. Each team will choose 2 team captains and participate in various judging events. These events are oral presentations, swamp tests, and races. This three-day competition ends with an awards banquet and a party to celebrate all of the teams and their hard work.
Concrete canoe competitions go as far back as the 60’s, being a go-to competition for many American Universities. It wasn’t until 1995, that Canada began it’s own competition. Since it’s start, over 3,000 students have competed in this competition. FORTA Corporation has been donating fiber samples to concrete canoe teams for over 30 years.
For more information about FORTA fibers or the CNCCC, go to:
http://concretecanoe.csce.ca/home