"University of Florida (Gators)"
(7th place overall; 9th in paper; 11th in presentation; 5th in product)

Presentation:

Florida’s theme was bull gator and four team members gave their presentation.  by outlining their presentation and proceeded to explain their management strategy.  Then they highlighted their critical path.

The tests used to design the hull were given and the team mentioned how a tapered bow was incorporated to help them drive the canoe through the water.

The structural analysis came next.  The team outlined the design parameters and factor of safety used during their analysis.

The mix design followed.  The team explained how they performed a microscopic analysis and used X-ray florescence to assess the chemical composition.  The team described their strategy for selecting the reinforcement and they outlined their construction scenario.

The methods used to train the crew were highlighted before the team ended their presentation by giving a complete description of the attributes of the canoe including the procedure for producing complex and large inlays.

Judges comments/questions:

Then, the question and answer session began:

• Your factor of safety is exceeds 5.0.  Isn’t this a bit excessive?
• Would you consider a resign if you had the chance?
• Could you expand on how you used X-ray florescence to select your constituents and establish the mix proportions?
• Why did you perform a dynamic analysis?
• Was damping considered during the latter?
• As a result of your X-ray tests, how much of your cement was hydrated?
• Did you consider the fatigue factor when selecting your reinforcement?
• You used slag and fly ash to produce a mix having a water-to-cement ratio of 0.9.  Did you have problems placing the mix?
• Your aggregate composition was designed to be consistent with the upper limit of the design curve.  Were you concerned that deviations in constituents would throw you outside of the required limit?
• Regarding the project schedule, why does your construction process start before your design phase is complete?

Commentary:

The presentation did not go as smoothly as it did at the regional level and the team seemed a bit nervous during their delivery.  They also faced some tough questions during the question and answer session.  But, to their credit, the Gators did their best to field answers.

Product:

Canoe Name: Bull Gator
Length: 21 ft
Weight:  221 lb
Color: Green and brown

Florida canoe’s was asymmetrical and reinforced using several layers of graphite mesh.  The canoe had a tapered bow to facilitate entry into the water and featured complex and large inlays.

Vital Statistics