"Drexel University"
(11th place overall; 6th in paper; 7th in presentation; 11th in product)

Presentation:

Four of Drexel’s “canoonies” made their presentation and the team began by pointing out their objectives and the major attributes of their boat.  They focused on hull design and explained the steps taken to create their unique entry.  The major features were highlighted including the seating arrangement and flotation positioning.

The team outlined the loading conditions considered during the structural analysis and concluded that the maximum loading condition occurred on land.  They spoke about the stress reversal that occurs when the canoe is flipped and specified the target value that they needed to maintain flexural strength under this loading condition.

Then the team presented their methodology for meeting the C-33 requirement and specified how many mixes that they had considered.  They explained that they used four layers of fiberglass mesh to reinforce the hull and said that a female mold was used for construction to facilitate form removal.

Details were given regarding the construction process and methods for quality control were mentioned.  After highlighting their project schedule, the team brought their presentation to conclusion.

Judges Comments/Questions:

The projectionist joined the other team members on stage and the judges got right to the quick:

• Why were there so many delays in your project schedule?
• A subcontractor was hired to make the mold but you allocated 1000 hours to this task.  What did you do during this period?
• Did you use any load factors in your design?
• Do you have any guidelines to give future teams regarding the factor of safety?
• In retrospect, do you have any feelings regarding the QAQC function that you incorporated into your management scenario?
• There are no additives in your mix.  Why?
• How do you plan to transfer knowledge to next year’s team?
• Did you have a safety program in place and if so what was it?
• How did you determine the ratio of fly ash-to-slag?

Commentary:

Tough questions but good answers.  The team seemed very relieved when the stint was finished.

Product:

Canoe Name: The Goondocker
Length: 20.8 ft
Weight: 215 lb
Color: Black

Drexel’s canoe was reinforced with four layers of fiberglass mesh and the team used Norlite and Q-cel to help meet the C-33 requirement.  The boat was asymmetrical and featured a whale tail to increase maneuverability.

 Vital Statistics