"University of California - Berkeley (Bears)"
(4th place overall; 3rd in paper; 6th in presentation; 7th in product)

Presentation:

Berkeley went with a pirate theme and four team members made their presentation.  They integrated the theme nicely by following a map in pursuit of treasure.

After the management scenario and project schedule were outlined, the team gave their rational for not changing the hull design.  Then they explained how they adopted new paddling techniques.

The mix design came next.  The team explained their strategy for meeting the C-33 requirement and mentioned that free fibers were added to arrest cracks.  The methods used to test and finish the canoe were specified next.  Then the team outlined their structural analysis and explained how EXTRACT was used to determine the critical stresses.

SAP was used to assess stress concentrations and, in response, the team decided to add a gunwale to strengthen their hull.  all of the critical parameters, the team explained the construction process including form production, methods used for placement, and the procedure used for curing the canoe.  The presentation was brought to a strong conclusion when the team stated, “After months of planning and work, we discovered our bearied treasure.”

Judges Comments/Questions:

The projectionist joined the team members as the question session began: 

• How many different loading conditions did you consider?
• What was your critical loading scenario?
• You didn’t mention shear in your thin walled structure.  Do you consider this an important design parameter?
• Could you clarify how your loads were distributed and how dead loads were computed?
• Did you consider entry into the boat during your structural analysis?
• How does the silica fume-to-latex ratio affect your mix design?
• Your canoe is subjected to torsion.  Was any consideration given to flexural strength?
• The tolerances called out for the dimensions in your design drawings are 1/8”.  Is that tolerance sufficient to meet your target goals for weight, etc.?
• Why did you use AR glass as opposed to more conventional materials?
• Safety is important.  Did you have a safety program?

Commentary:

Overall, the presentation was sound.  But the judges found some weaknesses in the design report and pressed the team to justify them.  For the most part, the Bears did a good job in damage control and recouped from some very difficult questions. 

Product:

Canoe Name: Bearied Treasure
Length: 22.3 ft
Weight: 265 lb
Color: Gray

The Bears went with a symmetrical hull that featured ribs and gunwale caps.  The boat was reinforced with a geo-grid and AR glass fibers.  Macrolite and glass bubbles helped meet the C-33 requirement.

Vital Statistics