By: Jordan Cruz (PM), Steven Godine, Kyle Plaza & Eric Weinberg
Advisers: Dr. V. Krstic & Dr. A. Bechtel
This year, The College of New Jersey’s Concrete Canoe team will be competing in the 2013 ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition. This competition challenges teams to create a canoe made of concrete that is no longer than 22 feet in length and 36 inches in width. Each facet of the canoe must be designed including the concrete mix, the structural makeup, and the hull. Various resources were consulted in addressing each of the design requirements including Free!Ship software for the hull design as well as industry advisor recommendations. Upon a structural analysis of the hull as a symmetric beam, it was determined that the maximum moment experienced by the canoe was 370 lb-ft, occurring 8.2 feet from the bow. Through the use of the Free!Ship program, it was determined that the widest section of the canoe is located 12.3 feet from the bow. The beam to length ratio of the hull was designed to be .1239. The hull was also designed to have a maximum draft of 5.4 inches when loaded. Throughout the course of SPI a series of individual concrete mix designs were tested, and a final mix design was chosen. The final mix design consists of Portland cement, sand aggregate, poravers, cenospheres, air-entraining admixture, and a few unique admixtures which aided in the application process. This mix achieved 28-day strength of 1910 psi and had a density of 61 pcf.The team has also implemented innovative materials such as fiberglass reinforcing mesh and synthetic polymer fibers which were chosen to provide strength in tension and flexure. The team will be utilizing shotcrete as the method of placement for the canoe, which will increase the concrete strength. In SPII, the team will finalize the mix design, order the mold for fabrication, and build the canoe. The team will compete in the Metropolitan Regional competition in April, 2013.