Liberty University’s first ever concrete canoe competition
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Liberty University’s civil engineering students combine canoes and engineering as they compete for the first time in the American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe Competition. Students began this journey in July of 2022, when their student club was chartered as an ASCE student chapter.
The civil engineering program started in the fall of 2019, and this May, it will see its first of seven students graduate from the program.
The program currently has 78 residential students and 394 online, totaling 472 Liberty students going through the civil engineering program. ASCE chapters began holding concrete canoe races in the 1960s, with the first competition being held in 1988.
“This competition emphasizes the engineering design process, project management skills and provides a unique opportunity to interact with construction materials and methods,” Colby Field, captain of the concrete canoe team, said.
As captain of Liberty’s team, Field helps with project management, reaching deadlines and making sure the canoe meets the correct standards for competition. Along with Field, Jarred Preston and Yiseul Choi have supported their team as co-captains, overseeing the design of the canoe and the mixture types of lightweight concrete. All three, along with the rest of the Liberty team, have worked since August to prepare for the event.
Liberty will have eight more students competing in the concrete canoe races and steel bridge competition: Lydianna Notheis, Graham Baker, Robert Tee Davis, Connor Rothermel and Maria Ferello; while Joel Harkness, Richard Snyder and Caleb Cauthorne will compete in the steel bridge. Both competitions will be held April 13-15.
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“One thing the team has emphasized throughout these challenges is the importance of facing them as a team. This has enabled us to implement innovative ideas and to bring as many people into the engineering process as possible,” Field said.
Liberty’s ASCE will compete against other universities such as Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University and Virginia Military Institute.
Dr. John Vadnal, professor of engineering, wants the students to have a great time, stay safe and learn what to do better next year and glorify God.
The competition helps students pursuing a degree in engineering gain real-world experience based on the information they learn in the classroom. They get to learn hands-on by working with different materials like concrete and other supportive materials to create a framework for a full-scale
concrete canoe.
“One of the greatest lessons we have learned from this experience is the iterative nature of the design process. Sometimes your first idea does not work, and that is okay,” Field said.
Vadnal said a lot of teamwork, design preparation and prayer were needed to make this competition a success. The race will take place at the 2023 Virginias ASCE Student Symposium at Marshall University.
Ellison is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter