Concrete canoe

Yes! After all, ships with steel hulls float, too! The magic word is "buoyancy"! If you want to know more, follow this link!

Team2023©

Every two years, the Concrete Canoe Team takes on the challenge of designing and building a concrete canoe that can float and be maneuvered. The goal is to compete in the Concrete Canoe Regatta!

The Concrete Canoe Regatta is a blend of concrete and boat-building technology, athletic competition, and—above all—a lot of fun. Participants come from vocational schools, technical colleges, universities, and other institutions where concrete technology is taught. The competition involves solving a complex challenge: utilizing the strength and watertightness of the construction materials in the canoe’s design to create canoes that are both lightweight and robust. And then, of course, the goal is to win the race with that canoe. (More info here)

Every two years, Informationszentrum Beton GmbH organizes the Concrete Canoe Regatta, in which more than 40 universities and training institutions from Germany and Europe typically participate.

Regatta 2022© SASCHA STEINBACH
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Models© Reichling
Models for Investigating the Influence of Hull Shape on Ship Handling Characteristics
Shipbuilding Laboratory© H. Manske
Hull model in the shipbuilding laboratory's water channel

The challenge is to build a concrete canoe that is as buoyant, lightweight, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing as possible. The Concrete Canoe Regatta is characterized not only by the athletic competition but also by additional awards, such as the Construction and Design Award. Therefore, there are a wide variety of tasks to complete:

Construction

When developing a new canoe, the first step is to design a suitable structure. This involves both optimizing the hull shape and developing a functional supporting structure.

Building Materials

Concrete isn’t the most suitable building material for this task, but that’s what makes it a challenge! The team is constantly developing new and improved concrete mixes. In addition, suitable reinforcement techniques must be tested. Fiber-reinforced concrete is typically developed for this purpose.

Design

Design plays a central role in the regatta evaluation. This includes the canoe’s surface and color design, its shape, as well as the creation of an overall concept consisting of the name, logo, and team apparel.

Social Media

In addition to the technical challenges, the team must also promote itself on social media. The regatta jury takes these activities into account in its evaluation.

Finances

To cover the costs incurred during the development and construction of the canoe, donations and sponsorship funds are regularly collected.

There are many ways to apply the knowledge gained during your studies. Students from different academic disciplines benefit from combining their diverse areas of expertise to create something new. In addition, students can gain initial project experience and include it on their résumés, which is an advantage when entering the workforce later on.

Furthermore, there are regular opportunities to earn ECTS credits as part of the project.

And let’s not forget the camaraderie and sense of community within the team!

Price_2022©

In general, the project is open to all students. It is particularly well-suited for civil engineering and architecture students.

If you are interested, please send an email to the project advisor, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kenji Reichling.