"Drexel University"
(15th place overall; 11th in paper; 10th in presentation; 10th in product)

Presentation:

The five-person team was composed of two women and three men.  Two of them were dressed in chef’s outfits and the skit was modeled after a baking contest.  A three-person press panel dressed in casual attire and featuring "Mister T" questioned the chefs on the attributes of their recipe for success.  The skit was integrated nicely with the details of the design and construction process.

The judges began the question and answer session by asking the team: "Why was Type III cement chosen and what is the difference between the latter and Type I?"  "How were the loading and boundary conditions selected to determine the stresses?"  "How did the target properties of your concrete compare to the ones actually achieved?"

Then, the judges asked if the safety factor was pre-selected or it just came out that way.  And, followed with: "What type of a concrete dye did you use?"

The team was asked what reinforcement was considered and if they looked at friction on the hull.  "What was the biggest problem encountered during the project and what was the most innovative part of the design?"  

The team was also questioned regarding the schedule for subcontracting their mold.  The judges ended the session by asking "How did you measure the air content of your concrete?".

Product:

Name: Paddlin' Fool
Length: 20' 1"
Weight: 150 lb
Color: black

 Vital Stats:

Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the representative from the Pennsylvania-Delaware Region.  They were one of the fifteen schools to compete in the first National Concrete Canoe Competition held in 1988.  This year marked their seventh appearance at the national level.  It was the team's sixth consecutive appearance and they have three top ten finishes to their credit.  Their highest finish to date was sixth in 1988.

Canoe/Materials/Facts:

Paddlin' Fool was constructed from a 57-pcf concrete and reinforced with two layers of glass fiber mesh.  A strip of carbon fiber was positioned along the gunwale.