History of the Concrete Canoe Competition
The use of concrete to build floating vessels is not new. In fact, this highly versatile construction material was used in 1848 when Joseph Louis Lambot built concrete boats for use on his estate in France. Some ASCE student chapters date their intramural concrete canoe races back to the 1960's. The University of Illinois - Urbana and the University of California - Berkeley both claim they held the first ASCE regional competitions in the early 1970's. In the more than 35 years since concrete canoe racing began, the efforts of students combining engineering excellence and hydrodynamic design to construct water-worthy canoes has culminated into an advanced form of concrete construction.
ASCE expanded its race endeavor to a national level in 1988 when concrete construction industry leader Master Builders, Inc. (MB) offered to become the sole corporate partner of the collegiate event. In its first year, 18 teams of enthusiastic civil engineering students from the nation's premier academic programs gathered at Lake Lansing, in East Lansing, Michigan, to test the waters of this innovative and educational sporting event. Increasingly confident in their concrete entries, the regional winners have continued to carry their canoes across the United States every year in their quest to become National Concrete Canoe champions.
The objectives of the national competition are:
- To provide civil engineering students an opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience and leadership skills by working with concrete mix designs and project management.
- To increase awareness of the value and benefits of ASCE membership among civil engineering students and faculty in order to foster lifelong membership and participation in the Society.
- To build awareness of the versatility and durability of concrete as a construction material among civil engineering students, educators and practitioners, as well as the general public.
- To build awareness of concrete technology and application among civil engineering students, educators and practitioners, as well as the general concrete industry.
- To increase awareness among industry leaders, opinion makers and the general public of civil engineering as a dynamic and innovative profession essential to society.
- To generate and increase awareness of ASCE and MBI's commitment to civil engineering education among civil engineering students, educators and practitioners, as well as the general public.
Past National Champions
Over the past 16 years, nearly 250 ASCE student chapters and clubs have designed, built and raced their concrete canoes at 18 regional competitions held across the United States each spring in order to qualify for the National Competition. Total of 92 schools have represented their regions at the national competition. However, out of those 92 schools, only 7 have been able to lay claim to a national championship.
The Badgers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison are the reigning national champions (2003) following their victory in Philadelphia, PA. Their ASCE student chapter hosted both the 1996 National Competition and the ASCE 150th Anniversary National Student Conference in 2002.
Clemson University's 3CT (Clemson Concrete Canoe Team) holds three of the past five national titles (2002, 2000 and 1999).
The University of Alabama-Huntsville holds the record with five national title reigns (2001, 1998, 1996, 1994, and 1993).
The Florida Institute of Technology (1997) has the distinction of being the only team to have been invited as a 2nd place qualifier to win the national competition. They also served as the host school of the 1999 National Competition.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology won the 1995 National Competition and later hosted the 1998 National Competition.
The University of California-Berkeley dominated the early years of the competition and has four national championships to their credit (1992, 1991, 1989, 1988).
The Spartans from Michigan State University captured the national championship in 1990.
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The following is a list of the National Champions
and the host school of the National Competition.
| 2003 University of Wisconsin-Madison hosted by Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA |
| 2002 Clemson University hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI |
| 2001 University of Alabama - Huntsville hosted by San Diego State University, San Diego, CA |
| 2000 Clemson University hosted by the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO |
| 1999 Clemson University hosted by the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL |
| 1998 University of Alabama-Huntsville hosted by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD |
| 1997 Florida Institute of Technology hosted by Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH |
| 1996 University of Alabama-Hunstville hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI |
| 1995 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology hosted by George Washington University, Washington, DC |
| 1994 University of Alabama-Huntsville hosted by the University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA |
| 1993 University of Alabama-Huntsville hosted by California State University - Sacramento, Sacramento, CA |
| 1992 University of California - Berkeley hosted by Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO |
| 1991 University of California - Berkeley hosted by the University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL |
| 1990 Michigan State University hosted by the State University of New York - Buffalo, Buffalo, NY |
| 1989 University of California - Berkeley hosted by Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX |
| 1988 University of California - Berkeley hosted by Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
