"University of Houston"
(14th place overall; 10th in paper; 19th in presentation; 14th in product)

Presentation:

The University of Houston represented the Texas-Mexico Conference and made their fifth national appearance.

Houston relied on 3 people to make their presentation; 2 men and 1 woman.  The presenters were dressed in suits and the presentation was business oriented.  The team used 1 screen and did not include any videos.

Following a brief introduction, the team began by outlining their competition history and the strategy underlying their theme.  Hull design came first.

The team outlined the salient features of their design and elaborated on the improvements that they made.  They outlined their FEA and testing techniques.  Then, they described the constituents employed and the strategy used for mix design.

Then it was on to reinforcement.  They explained how the reinforcement was integrated before outlining their construction scenario.  The team elaborated on their curing and finishing techniques and then proceeded to project management.

They gave details about the organizational structure and the make up of the team.  Crew training was mentioned along with the time and effort spent on the project.  Then, the team brought their presentation to conclusion.

 Questions and Comments:  

• Why did you use only 60 lbs of pre-stress in your cables?
• Did you pre-stress all of the different cables used for construction?
• How did you achieve such a high gloss finish?
• How did you apply your pre-stress?
• Did the tendons run the length of the canoe?
• What loading conditions did you consider?
• Did you consider the stresses introduced by flipping your canoe during the final product judging?
• Why did you run your silica fume content so high?
• Did you experience any problems when using such a high concentration?
• What kind of beverages did you serve following the completion of the construction process?

Product:

Houston fielded "Arevanche."
Length: 20.0'
Weight: 215 lb
Color: black, gray and red

Houston ’s hull was reinforced using a single layer of carbon fiber mesh placed at the center of their section.  Matrix materials included Siscor spheres and micro-spheres.  

The team incorporated hard chines to improve maneuverability.  They practiced inside their recreation center so that paddling sessions could take place at night after working hours.

Vital Statistics