CU ǸԹ shines at ASCE Symposium, advances to nationals
For the first time ever, CU ǸԹ's American Society of Civil Engineersstudent chapteris heading to the ASCE Civil EngineeringStudent Championships.
The team, which built a concrete canoe andcompeted in additional areas, excelled at the ASCERocky Mountain Symposium held at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, April 18-20. CU ǸԹstudentssecuredfirst place in Sustainable Solutions, second place in both the Technical and Non-technical paper competitions, and third place in Concrete Canoe, Surveying and Overall competitions.
"We've grown as a team in ability and confidence, and deepenedour understanding of engineering, including what goes into these competitions, how todevelop a strong paper and how todevelop a strong (concrete) mix — all whilehaving fun with it too," said student leader Gabi Dunn, who recently earned a BS in civil engineering. "Not everyteam has as much fun as we do."
Due to their outstanding performance, the team has been invited to compete in the Sustainable Solutions competition at the ASCE Championships, which will beheldat Brigham Young University from June 19-22.This competition challenges students to deepen their understanding of sustainability and learn to incorporate sustainable solutions into everyday engineering problems. This year the Sustainable Solutions competition asked students to develop the waterfront of a fictional city in a sustainable manner.
Concrete Canoe Competition
Approximately 20 CU ǸԹ civil and architectural engineering students spent more than 80 hours constructing a concretecanoe, named “Spike,” after a stegosaurus character in the animation, “Land Before Time.”
Within the Concrete Canoe competition, the team took third place in the paperand presentation portions.Unfortunately the team’s canoe cracked during transport to Wyoming, and no open water races were held this year due to weather.
Despite receiving a lower scorefor the prototype (canoe display) segment, Dunn said she feltproud that her teammatescame together to find a solution andshowcase their canoedespite the damage.
Since the early 1970s, ASCEstudent chapters have competed in designing, constructing, and racing concrete canoes,according to the ASCE website. The competition provides students with an opportunity to gain hands-on practical experience while testing their skills in concrete mix design and project management challenges. ASCE added a Sustainable Solutions competition to the student symposiumsin 2018.
"It's exciting that our team is able to compete at nationals because it's the first time that CU ǸԹ has ever had this opportunity," saidAssociate Teaching Professor Chris Senseney, the faculty advisor for the Concrete Canoe team. "CU ǸԹ is known for its outstanding sustainable engineering programs. It's great to see our students succeed in this area."
Students interested in joining the ASCE Student Chapter and the 2025 team can contact asce@colorado.edu.