"University of Wisconsin - Platteville"
(10th place overall; 22nd in paper; 12th in presentation; 10th in product)

Presentation:

The University of Wisconsin - Platteville represented the Mid-West Conference and made their fourth consecutive national appearance.

Platteville 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.

After a brief introduction, the team gave an overview of their presentation.  They began by outlining their goals.  Then the team introduced their management team and overall strategy.

They highlighted quality control and technology transfer.  Then it was on to hull design.

The team explained how they analyzed the hydrodynamic performance and determined the structural integrity.  Concrete mixture design came next.

The team explained that a large number of mixes were tested before selecting the final mix.  The team explained how they used a dual mold system to construct their boat and elaborated on some of their unique construction methods.

They went on to explain how the hull was reinforced.  And, after specifying the salient attributes of the canoe, the team brought their presentation to conclusion.

Questions and Comments:

• Can you elaborate on the contraction joints incorporated into your form?
• Did you determine whether the canoe actually contracted?
• Did you have differential movement in critical areas?
• What load cases did you consider?
• How did you validate your FEA?
• What was the cure time used when you specified your strength?
•  Did you evaluate the strength gain during moist curing?
• Did you experience any problems between the compatibility of the constituents relative to air entrainment?
• How did you train your new recruits?
• Did exceeding the manufacturer’s recommended dosage of fibers present any problems?
• Did you increase your factor of safety in sections that did not include primary reinforcement?

Product:

The University of Wisconsin - Platteville fielded "Fiberlite."
Length: 20.0'
Weight: 160 lb
Color: white, black and blue

Platteville’s hull was reinforced using polypropylene fibers and included 1 layer of fiberglass mesh on the outside of critical sections.  Matrix materials included poraver.  

The team was satisfied with last year’s hull design but they incorporated inlays on the bow.  They also made an attempt to transfer knowledge and experience by co-captaining teams.

Vital Statistics