Concrete Canoe
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We design and build a canoe made of concrete every year to compete and race at regional and national conferences. We start in Fall Quarter by creating our hull design, mix design, and building the canoe mold. Once we have our final mix design and mold, we cast the canoe in one day! In Winter Quarter, we sand, patch, stain, and seal the canoe before competing in PSWS (Pacific Southwest Symposium). In addition to constructing the canoe, we create and submit a technical report to the conference. We prepare for an oral presentation and make stands to hold up the canoe, a final display, and a representative cross section of the canoe for display day. And, of course, we hold weekly paddling practices throughout the year to train for the exciting all-day racing event at the conference!
Scoring in the competitions is based on four equally-weighted categories: canoe design and construction quality, design report, oral presentation, and race performance. Our goal is to excel in these four areas, so we take great effort to prepare for the competitions. There is a need for students (or “project engineers”) to help out in one or several aspects. From mix design to paddling, there is a way for students from all majors to contribute to the project. Whether it is painting the canoe, paddling the canoe, or even just designing the shape of the canoe, each aspect is intertwined with each other, making this project a very fun and collaborative effort. |
UCLA Concrete Canoe Team at PSWS 2025
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We have competed in the regional Concrete Canoe competition since 1990. Our first canoe was cleverly named P.D.S. 90, which stood for “Please Don’t Sink”. Since then, our Concrete Canoe team has qualified for nationals eight times following exceptional performances at regional competitions. In fact, our most recent invitation to the national competition was in 2019, when we were chosen as a Wildcard team!
This past Canoe Season in 2024 we made a huge comeback placing second overall, second in presentation, third in prototype and FIRST in technical report! We know we will keep this streak of success alive this year with PSWS in our own city of LA! For more information, visit https://bruinsconcretecanoe.weebly.com/! |
Gallery
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Contact
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Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions. We are also open to sponsorship. The materials and equipment that we use in this project are expensive, so any financial help for getting those resources is appreciated. Please send us an email for more information.
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