Cal Poly Claims National Concrete Canoe Championship for Third Year in a Row

June 19, 2012

For the third consecutive year, Cal Poly won gold at the National Concrete Canoe Competition, considered the America's Cup of Civil Engineering.

Cal Poly Claims National Concrete Canoe Championship for Third Year in a Row

The team's three-peat came in a canoe aptly named Prospector in honor of the California Gold Rush. 

The American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 25th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition was held June 14-16 at the University of Nevada, Reno.

 Cal Poly was among 22 top engineering schools at the prestigious event that challenges students' knowledge, creativity and stamina while showcasing the versatility and durability of concrete as a building material.

 The competition was broken into four equally weighted categories: final product, design paper, technical presentation and races. Cal Poly placed first in three categories and third in technical presentation.

 "We put in 5,250 hours on the development of Prospector," said Erik Bjornstrom, project manager. "We applied innovative and sustainable practices to every aspect of its construction. That included testing 160 different concrete mixes, eliminating a layer of reinforcement and incorporating more sustainable materials."

 For the first time in several years, the rules allowed teams to develop their own custom hull design. "The extra task challenged our already tight schedule," said Bjornstrom, "but we worked hard and stayed organized."

 "When all is said and done," said Gavin Miller, a construction captain, "our biggest edge is the level of support we receive from alumni, sponsors, faculty and previous captains. The transfer of knowledge from one team to another is one of this team's greatest assets."

 Cal Poly team members included Erik Bjornstrom, project manager; Kevin Galloway, Jazz Gilbert and Gavin Miller, construction captains; Gary Gasperi, Krystian Samlik and Shane Smith, mix design captains; and paddlers Jason Armes, Heather Baessler, Alicia Welling and Miller. Team adviser was Garrett Hall, and Gregg Fiegel was ASCE student chapter adviser.

 Major sponsors of the team were C.C. Myers, Cannon, Shimmick Construction and Traylor Bros. Inc.

 For more information, go to www.asce.org/concretecanoe.

 2012 Final Rankings:

 Overall

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. Université Laval
  3. Michigan Technological University

 Design Paper

  1. Université Laval
  2. University of Nevada, Reno
  3. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

 Oral Presentation

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. Michigan Technological University
  3. Université Laval

 Final Product

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. Michigan Technological University
  3. University of Florida
  4.  

Women's Sprint Races

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. Université Laval
  3. University of Nevada, Reno

 Men's Sprint Races

  1. Université Laval
  2. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  3. University of Nevada, Reno

Women's Slalom/Endurance Race

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. University of Nevada, Reno
  3. Université Laval

 Men's Slalom/Endurance Race

  1. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  2. Université Laval
  3. University of Nevada, Reno

 Coed Sprints

  1. University of Nevada, Reno
  2. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
  3. Université Laval