When most people think of concrete, they picture roads, sidewalks or building foundations, not something that floats. But students in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing’s civil and environmental engineering program proved that with the right mix of engineering, creativity and teamwork, even concrete can float. 

This past April, the Concrete Canoe Competition was held as part of the American Society of Civil Engineers Student (ASCE) Symposium in Greensboro, North Carolina. While racing the canoe is the most visible part of the event, it's only one piece of a year-long project that challenges students to think like engineers, designers and project managers. 

The ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition is one of seven events during the symposium. Although teams compete in sprint and slalom races on the water, a higher percentage of points are judged on each team’s project proposal, technical presentation and final product prototype. This year, the University of South Carolina team, named Captain Cocky, finished third out of seven schools from the Carolinas. 

For team captains Morgan Havers and Bennett Young, the competition started well before the spring semester. 

"We started last summer by coming up with our team’s name and working through some early design ideas," Havers says. "During the fall, we finalized the design, tested different concrete mixes and began building the canoe. We poured the concrete early in the spring semester." 

Turning one of the world’s heaviest building materials into a race-ready canoe takes much more than mixing concrete and hoping for the best. Every curve, every material and every design choice must be backed by engineering calculations, laboratory testing and detailed documentation.

That responsibility fell in part to rising seniors Audrey Cobb and Laura Chapman, who led the team's 26-page technical report. The document, which is written from scratch each year, explains every step of the design and construction process and includes diagrams, material lists and the team's organizational plan.

"We also have to explain things like how we made the project more sustainable and what we changed from the previous year," Cobb says. "That report makes up about 30 percent of the overall score." 

One of the team's biggest changes this year was shortening the canoe from 20 feet to 18 feet. The redesign created a flatter back end, improving flotation and making the canoe easier to maneuver on the water. The team also experimented with a new reinforcement method by using chicken wire cut into half-inch V-shaped sections inside the concrete, creating a more uniform reinforcement layer throughout the canoe.

"We hadn't seen another school use chicken wire that way," Cobb says. "It was something we came up with as we worked through the project. The judges like seeing teams solve problems and adapt when something isn't working." 

For Cobb, the competition also mirrored the type of work she's already encountered during internships. 

"I've had to write technical proposals during my internships, so working on this report definitely helped," she says. "Morgan and I also gave an elevator pitch to the judges this year, so it wasn't just about engineering. It helped us build communication and presentation skills too." 

Havers, the incoming president of USC’s ASCE student chapter, says the team's progress over the last two years has created a strong foundation for future competitions. She hopes to continue growing participation in both the organization and the Concrete Canoe team. 

"We've made a lot of progress, especially in how we organize and lead the team," Havers says. "We're in a good position moving forward. And some of the best parts happen outside of class. Spending evenings building the canoe together creates friendships that last well beyond the competition."