For the first time in a decade, the concrete canoe races are coming to Lamar University's home turf - and a waterway running through it.
Lamar will be among a dozen schools taking their canoes out on the water this weekend to prove concrete can float.
About 30 LU civil engineering students are counting the hours until they compete in the Texas/Mexico Regional American Society of Civil Engineers Competition Friday and Saturday, April 21-22. Competing schools include the University of Texas in Austin, Texas A&M University in College Station, University of Houston, UT-Arlington, Texas Tech University, Prairie View A&M, UT-El Paso, UT-San Antonio and several schools from Mexico.
Co-captains of Lamar University's entry, seniors Jeremy Mitchell of Port Arthur and Devin Jones of Silsbee, are making final preparations. The group named their canoe Rita because of the impact the hurricane had on Southeast Texas, their studies, and eventually, their project. Mitchell said some students put in long hours to get the project completed after the hurricane cause numerous delays. During spring break some students even worked until 2 or 3 a.m. when possible to make sure the project stayed afloat.
Friday, beginning at 2:30 p.m., schools will showcase their canoes adjacent to the conference center at the at the Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza where the professional arm of the American Society of Civil Engineers will conduct its conference. Students will present a technical paper on their canoes and also will give oral presentations on their projects.
Saturday, the competition hits the water. From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. competitors will race their canoes at Boomtown USA, 1495 Freeway Blvd. in Rose City. Students will compete in the men's sprint, woman's sprint, men's slalom, woman's slalom, and a variety of other races, said Mitchell, president of Lamar's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Before the canoes compete, each craft will be submerged to ensure that it will resurface if it takes on water. That also will indicate whether the canoes will safely float or not.
The last time Lamar University hosted the regional competition was in 1996, Mitchell said. The 2006 concrete canoe project was started in the summer of 2005, but it was put on hold after Hurricane Rita hit the region. Many of the Lamar students involved in the canoe project also competed in the annual steel bridge competition. After the steel bridge competition ended, students then focused on the concrete canoe again.
“It took a considerable amount of man hours,” Mitchell said. “It's a lot of work. It's very labor intensive.”
The concrete canoe competition gives students an opportunity to put principles they have learned into action, he said. It also gives students a chance to works as a team while getting to interact with their instructors on a different level, Mitchell said. “It's great because students get some hands-on experience.”
While Mitchell worked on the canoe design, Jones' focus was developing a lightweight concrete mixture. It is nothing like concrete used on a construction site, Mitchell said. The first-place winner will continue to national competition. The overall score will be determined after judges review technical papers submitted by the competing schools, the oral presentations, final products and standing in the canoe races, with each of the four areas valued at 25 points.
Mitchell applauded civil engineering professor Jerry Lin and instructor Hani Tohme for overseeing the project.
