"Polytechnic University"
(tied for 19th place overall; 16th in paper; 17th in presentation; 13th in product)

Presentation:

Poly relied on 4 people to deliver their presentation.  They used 2 screens and presented their effort from a business standpoint.

Following a brief introduction, the team elaborated on their management and organizational breakdown structure.

Hull design came next.  The team described the salient features of their design and explained how ribs and pre-tensioning cables were incorporated into the canoe.

Structural analysis came next.  The team mentioned that the critical load occurred during the 2-person race during when the paddlers are separated by the greatest distance. 

The team explained that they use fatigue testing to evaluate durability.  They detailed the methods for placing reinforcement and outlined the techniques employed for structural testing.

The team explained how test results were correlated with their analysis and they highlighted their results.

Construction came next.  The team explained that they employed CPM and they elaborated on the methods used to build and cure their product.  After summarizing their findings, the team acknowledged the efforts of the judges and the host school.

Questions and Comments: 

• The judges cited one of the statements made in the design report regarding structural analysis and asked the team to explain what it meant.
• How old was your canoe when you released the pre-tensioning cables?
• Was there a curing period beyond the 28-day period specified in your report?
• The judges commended the team for fatigue testing before asking them how they took ergonomics and paddlers needs into account.
• Did you verify that the 2-person race corresponds to the critical load?
• How far apart did you assume that your paddlers were during this analysis?
• After mentioning that there should be an award for the heaviest canoe, they asked how the team arrived at some of the figures mentioned in their mix table.

Product:

Canoe Name: Poly Poseidon  
Length: 20.167 ft
Weight: 390 lb
Color: blue-green

Vital Statistics