"Clemson University - 3CT"
(3rd place overall; 5th in paper; 2nd in presentation; 17th in product)

Presentation:

3CT relied on 2 people to deliver their presentation.  They used 2 screens, incorporated video, and presented their effort from a business standpoint.

After a brief introduction, 3CT gave an overview of their project.  They began with hull design and specified the changes made over last year’s design.  The team explained why they elected to go with a shorter and wider boat and noted that they evaluated the design using a prototype.

The team described the analysis methods used for structural analysis and mentioned the software employed to obtain critical parameters.  They elaborated on their pre-tensioning force and said that they tested their reinforcement scheme to insure that it met the design loads.

Then the team outlined the test methods employed to evaluate the reinforcement as well as their composite design.  They mentioned that the unit weight of their section was lower than last year.

Construction came next.  The team described how they constructed their form and concrete canoe.  Curing techniques were described and the team explained how thermal methods were employed to monitor the curing process.  They also elaborated on their finishing methods and the team noted that they incorporated fiber optics into their design.

The team specified the management and operational breakdown structure and outlined the approach for selecting team members.  Remarks were made regarding paddler selection and training before the team brought their presentation to conclusion.

Questions and Comments: 

• Was it your intention to use latex to decrease the unit weight?
• How did your addition rate stack up to the manufacturer recommendations?
• How did thermal imagery add to quality control?
• Did the camera provide temperature read outs and not just imagery?
• How many different trial mixtures did you evaluate?
• What is the importance of the sampling rate during the thermal tests?
• What test did you use for your air content?
• In general if you batched a smaller material what you expect to see as far as volume goes?
• What was the merit of the nano-tubes used during fabrication?
• Can you give me a number on the cost of the nano-tubes?
• Did your quality control manager look at your design report? 

Product:

Canoe Name: Take If For Granite
Length: 18.667 ft
Weight: 151 lb
Color: brown granite

Vital Statistics