21st Annual National Civil Engineering Competition Draws Support from Industry Leaders
Reston, Va.—For the first time in competition history, civil engineering students from the United States and Canada will travel by plane, train and Ryder truck across the border into Canada to race their canoes in the "America’s Cup of Civil Engineering." On June 19-21, 2008, the École de technologie supérieure in Montreal will host the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 21st Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition.
Throughout the year, more than 250 teams of civil engineering students log thousands of hours researching, designing and constructing their concrete canoes in the hopes of finding the winning combination of knowledge and teamwork.
Organized by ASCE, the National Concrete Canoe Competition is made possible by the generous support of sponsors from across the concrete, construction and engineering industries. The American Concrete Institute; Baker Concrete Construction; BASF – The Chemical Company; Bentley Systems, Incorporated; the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Holcim (US) Inc.; ICS Penetron; Kiewit; and U.S. Silica Company are co-sponsors of this important national academic contest.
"Civil engineering graduates are among the most sought after by employment recruiters," said ASCE president David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE. "Through the generous support of its sponsors, this event allows students to develop the essential creativity and teamwork skills they will need in their professional careers, which is why it’s so important to encourage participation in this event."
Winners from 18 regional competitions, held each spring, qualify for the national competition, where they will compete for scholarship money. The competition is comprised of both academic and race events. Each team’s total score is based on the engineering design and construction principles used in the creation of the canoe, a technical design report, a formal business presentation and the performance of the canoe and its paddlers in five different races—men’s and women’s slalom/endurance races and men’s, women’s and co-ed sprint races.
For more information on the National Concrete Canoe Competition, including downloadable high-resolution photos, please visit: http://content.asce.org/conferences/nccc2008/index.html.
American Society of Civil Engineers—Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
American Concrete Institute—Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., USA, members of the American Concrete Institute advance concrete knowledge by producing consensus, concrete-related codes, specifications, guides, and reports; creating and administering certification programs that support individuals in the concrete industry; delivering seminars and distance learning opportunities; publishing Concrete International magazine; and producing two peer-reviewed technical journals. For additional information, visit www.concrete.org.
Baker Concrete Construction—Baker Concrete Construction was founded in 1968 in Oxford, Ohio. Baker presently operates throughout the continental United States and is committed to building upon a tradition of creating concrete solutions from concept to completion into the 21st century.
BASF – The Chemical Company—Founded in 1909 as Master Builders, the Admixture business of BASF Construction Chemicals is a leading innovator in the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical admixtures for specialty concrete used in the ready-mix, precast, paving, manufactured concrete products and underground construction markets. BASF is the world’s leading chemical company with customers in more than 170 countries, production sites in 41 countries and more than 95,000 employees. Headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where the company operates the world’s largest integrated chemical complex, the BASF Group comprises more than 160 subsidiaries and affiliates.
Bentley Systems, Incorporated—Bentley provides software for the lifecycle of the world’s infrastructure. The company’s comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With revenues now surpassing $400 million annually, and more than 2,400 colleagues globally, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Top Design Firms and major owner-operators, and was named the world’s number two provider of GIS/geospatial software solutions in a Daratech research study. For more information, visit www.bentley.com.
Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers—Created in 2000, the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 19,000 members and is the first national organization designed to meet the professional and technical needs of all individuals working within the construction industry to support the growth and development of the profession. For more information, visit http://www.constructioninst.org.
Holcim (U.S.) Inc.—Holcim (US) Inc. is a subsidiary of Holcim Ltd, and one of the nation’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components. Holcim (US) has approximately 2,900 employees and operates 16 manufacturing plants and over 76 distribution facilities in the United States.
ICS Penetron—Penetron is a recognized leader in the field of integral crystalline capillary systems for the waterproofing, protection and repair of concrete and serves over 60 countries with its international brands; Penetron, Penebar and Peneseal, from manufacturing facilities around the world. Imbued for almost 30 years with a strong commitment to quality, service and high technical standards, Penetron formulations have undergone continuous refinement through the integration of the latest materials research in order to continue offering cutting edge construction technology.
Kiewit—Founded in 1884 in Omaha, Neb., Kiewit is one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and mining organizations. For over 120 years, we have delivered world-class solutions to projects of every size, in every market. No project is too challenging or unique, too big or small. Our goal for every project is the same — build it safely, on time, on budget and with no surprises.
U.S. Silica Company—U.S. Silica Company produces silica sand, testing sands, ground and fine ground silica, and calcined and hydrous kaolin for the building products, cement, and other markets worldwide. Visit us at www.ussilica.com. U.S. Silica testing sands conforming to ASTM C-778 are utilized to determine the compressive strength and air content of hydraulic and masonry cements.