ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition

The Civil Engineering Student Championships are coming up soon and it's time to start meeting our Concrete Canoe Teams!
🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶
Hailing from the Metropolitan conference and making their twelfth appearance in the finals, we welcome:

New York University - Tandon
Canoe Name: Chrysalis 🐛
Theme: Butterflies-Garden-Nature🦋
Weight: 216 lb.
Length: 19.5'

And the third Wild Card team for 2026 is. . .







From the Frontier Conference - the University of Texas at Tyler⭐️

The second Wild Card team picked is. . .







From the Virginias Conference - the University of Virginia! 🟧🟦

Drum roll please!🥁🥁

The first Wild Card team is...




From the Northeast Conference - Northeastern University!🐶🐾

It's TIIIIIIIMMMMEEE! ASCE Concrete Canoe Wild Card Drawing starting soon - Committee on Concrete Canoe Competitions (C4) Chair Pat Raistrick will be drawing the names of THREE teams to join the party at Fairmont State next month!

RFI No: 87
Subject: Dedication Page for Late Team Member
Section: Section 5.0
Date Issued: 2/4/2026

Question: Our team is grieving the unexpected loss of a team member. We strive to keep him included in every aspect of the competition that we can. To this end, can we include a dedication page for him at the beginning of the technical ex*****on package, between the cover letter and table of contents?

Response: We are incredibly sorry for your team's loss. Please accept our heartfelt condolences during what we know must be a very painful time.

We understand the desire to include a dedication page in the Technical Ex*****on Package. Unfortunately, the formatting requirements for the package are strict, and any deviation - including adding a dedication page - would result in deductions, at minimum Infraction C. To avoid placing that additional burden on your team, we aren't able to approve it within the judged document.

However, we want to fully support you honoring him. You are welcome to incorporate a tribute in your presentation, on your display board, or in other parts of the competition where you have full creative freedom. You may also include him on your infographic or your team's organizational chart which are part of the Technical Ex*****on Package. If there's another way we can help facilitate this, please let us know. We're holding your team in our thoughts.

RFI No: 86
Subject: Digital Materials Notebook Submission Questions
Section: 4.3, 5.7, 7.0
Date Issued: 2/4/2026

Question: We are requesting clarification in the manner of which we should submit our materials notebook. Section 5 implies that we upload our MTDS into Cerberus in their respective files and that will count as the submission for the materials notebook. We can in fact see that there is an example set up in the references folder. Is every school supposed to upload their materials folder in their respective folders, if so are we expected to set up our materials notebook folders in the exact manner as it is in the reference document on our own?

Additionally, as part of the display, a physical Materials Notebook needs to be added. Should we supply that using the same format as previous year's Materials Notebooks: with a cover and bound?

Response: To answer your first question, yes, the intention is that every team sets up their own materials notebook folders within their respective school's folder using the folder structure from the example in the reference documents.

Teams should first "Zip and Download" the "Digital Materials Notebook" folder from the Reference Documents.

Teams should then un-zip the downloaded folder, and re-name "Digital Materials Notebook" using the naming convention outlined in Section 4.3. For ease of reference: "File names should follow the format: "School Name – Canoe Name – Document – Year" (e.g., "South Central Louisiana State University – Mud Dawg – Materials Notebook – 2026"). "

Teams should then compile their Digital Materials Notebook locally on their computer, saving the relevant documentation into their respective subfolders (listed below in the second screenshot, again, for reference).

Teams should navigate to their school's folder in Cerberus and click on "Add Folder..." as shown in the screenshot below from the Materials Webinar that was hosted this past fall and upload their whole digital materials notebook submission in one fell swoop to their school folder in Cerberus. Note that teams can upload folders to Cerberus but they cannot create them within Cerberus itself.

To answer the second question, there is no prescribed format for the hard-copy of the Materials Notebook that must be incorporated into the display. This could be as simple as printing out the contents of the digital materials notebook and putting those printouts in a folder that is on display and available to flip through. Teams are not required to bind the hard-copy of the Materials Notebook, but are welcome to do so if they desire. Please note that the contents of the hard-copy Materials Notebook should match the contents of the Digital Materials Notebook.

RFI No: 85
Subject: Extent of Critical Path Required
Section: 5.4.3, 5.5.13, RFI 21
Date Issued: 1/31/2026

QUESTION: For context, our team is using Microsoft Project with a Gantt Chart view to produce the Updated Project Schedule.
In Microsoft Project, the critical path only displays active tasks that extend past the date of submittal of the Technical Ex*****on Package, February 12. Is this sufficient for the team to provide detailed discussion regarding the project evolution and schedule, or would C4 like to see the full critical path of the actual dates from the beginning of the project to the end?
RESPONSE: The Updated Project Schedule should reflect the full project timeline and associated milestones (both proposed and actual) as described in Section 5 of the RFP and as clarified in RFI 21.

RFI No: 84
Subject: Appendix B Template – Mandatory?
Section: 5.5.12
Date Issued: 1/31/2026

QUESTION: For Appendix B concerning the Hull Thickness/Reinforcement and Percent Open Area (POA) calculations, we would like clarification on the required format of the submission.

Specifically, could you confirm the following: Is the use of the provided Excel template mandatory for Appendix B, must it be included in the RFP with the calculations or is it acceptable to include only the calculations directly within the Appendix B section of the Technical Ex*****on Package?

RESPONSE: C4 – and the judges responsible for scoring submissions – strongly prefer that teams use the provided templates, even if deemed a reference or an example. Keep in mind some of these templates are mandatory, such as the Mix Design and Materials Notebook.

The templates C4 are introducing serve two primary purposes. First, they reduce the burden on both teams and judges by providing standardized, clear, and organized formats that promote consistent and efficient judging. Second, they give teams practical experience working within client-provided standards – an expectation that mirrors professional practice and will be encountered frequently throughout their careers.

However, for the Percent Open Area (POA) and Hull Thickness/Reinforcement template, the RFP states: "Present the measurements and calculations of the reinforcement thickness and hull thickness for the various canoe elements (i.e., walls, ribs, gunwales, thwarts, and bulkheads) and percent open area (POA) as applicable, using the provided template as a reference."

So, while this specific template is not mandatory for this competition cycle, C4 cannot guarantee that deviation from the provided format will not result in reduced scores or infractions during judging. Accordingly, C4 recommends that teams use all provided templates whenever possible, even when not explicitly identified as mandatory.