"Colorado School of Mines"
(13th place overall; 18th in paper; 6th in presentation; 19th in product)

Presentation:

Two women dressed in formal attire gave the presentation.  The team introduced themselves and outlined the organizational structure.  They described the tasks that were assigned to each team and supplemented this with details on the design and construction of their boat.  

They highlighted the salient features of their hull and discussed the innovative features of the project.  The team focused on their curing process and the methods used to finish their product.

They were the only team to specifically discuss fund raising and the societal impact of the project.  More that that, they were the only team that publicly thanked their faculty advisors for helping with the effort.

During the question and answer session the judges asked the team to elaborate on the curing process.  Other questions followed:  "Why was a combination of Type I/II used?"  "Why was silica fume used and how does it react with the other constituents included in the mix?"

"What were the tensile stresses that were used as design criteria?" and "Where and when did these occur?"

"What safety measures were employed during the project?"  "What was the most innovative feature of your project?" and "What was the most difficult part of the project?"  "How many person hours were invested in the project?" and "What was the most fun part of the project?"

Product:

Name: Silver Bullet
Length: 19' 6"
Weight: 120 lb
Color: silver, red/blue logos and lettering

Vital Stats:

The Colorado School of Mines is located in Goldon, Colorado. This was their second year at nationals.  Their tenth place finish in 2001 was the team's highest to date.

Canoe/Materials/Facts:

CSM's hull design featured an inverted keel extra tracking and maneuverability.  The mix consisted of cement, graded sand, glass bubbles, silica fume, fly ash, and several other additives.