"University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ)"
(15th place overall, 9th place in paper, 14th place in presentation, 15th place in product, 11th in races)

Presentation:

The University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown represented the Mid-Atlantic Conference and made their fourth national appearance.

Pitt relied on 4 people to make their presentation; 3 men and 1 woman.  The presenters were dressed in formal attire.  The team used 1 screen and included a video.

The team elaborated on their theme and introduced themselves.  They outlined their project management and team organization and elaborated on the person hours expended.

The team described their test program and outlined the method employed to obtain the critical stress.  They described how they constructed their mold and then moved on to mix design.

The team explained how they met the strength and sustainability requirements.  They outlined the test program and described how they selected constituents and reinforcement.

A time lapse sequence was used to illustrate form and canoe construction.  Then the team elaborated on their finishing techniques before bringing their presentation to conclusion.

Questions and Comments:

• How did you obtain a stronger and lighter concrete mix?
• What do you attribute the increase in strength and decrease in weight to?
• How does air entrainment enhance durability?
• Is their any negligible affect that you needed to condider?
• What was the sequencing of materials during mixing?
• What was the purpose of considering knee bearing loads?
• What was your rationale behind selecting your safety factor?
• What was your main area of concern regarding structural analysis?
• Why did you choose to mix by hand?
• Were there any chemical additives that may not have been activated during this process?
• How did your new mold work with regard to form release?
• What was the most challenging and successful aspects of your initial planning process?
• Why did you use a latex modifier at a dosage that exceeded the manufacturer’s recommendations?

The delivery was very strong and the team addressed questions nicely.

Product:

Canoe Name/Weight: "Infamy"/260 lb

Display and Cross Section:

Vital Statistics