Does a concrete canoe float? It does when ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ students build it.
Each year, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Concrete Canoe Team designs and builds a 20-foot canoe made entirely of concrete. After pouring and molding the structure, students refine and sand the hull until it is ready for competition.
The canoe is then carefully transported to the ASCE Virginias’ Student Symposium and Concrete Canoe Competition, where teams from universities across Virginia and West Virginia compete. Universities take turns hosting the symposium, which also features several other competitions, including the Steel Bridge Competition.
The event is about more than racing. Teams are judged on the canoe’s design and construction, the strength and weight of their concrete mix, and the quality of their technical paper and presentation. The canoe must be both strong enough to race and light enough to float.
Races include men’s and women’s sprint and slalom events, as well as a co-ed sprint. The competition emphasizes planning, design, budgeting, teamwork, problem-solving and applied engineering skills.
In 2026, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ will host the competition, which is set for Friday, April 10.
Learn more about civil engineering at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ
