Row, Row, Row, Your Concrete Canoe
Tandon teammates enjoying the honor of competing at the national American Society of Civil Engineering Concrete Canoe Competition at San Diego State University.
The annual Concrete Canoe Competition, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) offers civil engineering students a new perspective on a material fairly ubiquitous in their field. This year, some of that perspective was gained from the seats of a swiftly moving vessel, as the Tandon team paddled their way to a solid fifth-place finish in the Women’s Sprint Race – among the most exciting events at the national finals, held in late July at San Diego State University.
The “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering,” as the event is known, is a hands-on learning experience that required the students to research, design, construct, and race their own canoe. It called upon their creativity and engineering knowledge, as well as their strength, speed, and teamwork.
It was a banner year in more ways than one: 2018 marked the third year in a row that the Tandon canoe team made it to the national competition (a feat unmatched in school history). Additionally, it was the first time that both the canoers and the team taking part in another high-profile ASCE challenge, the Steel Bridge Competition, landed in the number-one spots in their respective regional competitions, providing Tandon with double the reason for celebration.
Engineering projects require effective collaboration, and Tandon’s female paddlers just unquestionably proved that they have what it takes to push their way to the finish line and a common goal.
