The Clemson Concrete Canoe Team (3CT) challenges students each year to design, model, create, and race a concrete canoe. With a great deal of planning, research, and preparation, 3CT competes regionally with the Carolinas Conference to earn a spot in the national competition.
Students design the canoe using a variety of resources, including past year's experience and local consultants. Research is incorporated in the design stages to determine how the canoe will perform under racing conditions. A vast amount of research is also utilized to produce a light and durable concrete mix with proper reinforcement.
After extensive research and planning, the canoe is placed by hand in Clemson University Department of Civil Engineering facilities. After curing, the canoe is sanded to achieve a smooth exterior where finishing details are added to the canoe to enhance its aesthetic quality. Details such as stains, colored concrete, pigmented aggregate, and decals have been used by 3CT in the past.
Paddling practices are held throughout the year on Lake Hartwell to train new and returning paddlers for competition. Proper form is taught by former 3CT paddlers to ensure consistency. Time trials are held near competition dates to determine the best paddlers for each race.
The canoe is then taken to the competition, where it is judged in a variety of areas, including final product, a technical paper, a technical presentation, and five separate races.
The Clemson Concrete Canoe Team encourages undergraduate students to join the team to expand upon their engineering, communication, technical writing, and team work skills.
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