The Hull Design team has been conducting research in hull design shapes and softwares for the canoe. All of the shapes of the canoe used in the past competitions were outlined including straight or flared tumblehome, flat, shallow-arch, or round rocker, and stern or shallow v-hull.

Another aspect of research included which software to use in order to design and analyze the stability and resistance of the canoe. The software will allow us to test different designs and see which would have the most beneficial properties. A total of ten softwares have been analyzed by comparing their positives and negatives. From the softwares, we have selected Free!Ship.

The research found on past winners of the ASCE National Canoe Competition in the past few years will serve as testing grounds for us to see which is the most ideal software to use. Bobby and Jack plan to analyze several hull designs in order to provide variety and see which has the most beneficial aspects.

Two weeks after the Mix Team let the cubes cure, the team went in to test their strengths. It was predicted the second mix would have the highest compressive strength, as the first mix’s aggregates were too large for the mold, making it difficult to fill with the other materials and multiple aggregates, and the third mix’s aggregates were run through a #4 sieve and would have less strength.

The three cubes for Mix 1 had a compressive strength of 845 psi, 821 psi, and 831 psi, leaving that at an average of 832 psi. Mix 2’s cubes resulted in compressive strengths of 738 psi, 643 psi, and 655 psi, with an average of 679 psi. Lastly, Mix 3 had an average strength of 639 psi, with individual cube strengths of 634 psi, 666 psi, and 616 psi. The team concluded that Mix 1 was the strongest due to the larger aggregate sizes.

In the upcoming week, the Mix Team will be testing cubes using various admixtures and researching possible lightweight materials, as the mixes previously made, although strong enough to support the team members, would not be able to float in water. Less dense mixes will need to be tested in order to narrow down the design process.

The Hull Design team kickstarted the project by conducting research in hull design aspects and software for the canoe. All of the shapes of the canoe used in the past competitions were outlined including straight or flared tumblehome, flat, shallow-arch, or round rocker, and stern or shallow v-hull.

Another aspect of research included which software to use in order to design and analyze the stability and resistance of the canoe. The software will allow us to test different designs and see which would have the most beneficial properties. A total of ten software programs have been analyzed by comparing their positives and negatives. We have narrowed the list down to three software programs of BearBoat, MaxSurf, and FreeSurf.

The research found on past winners of the ASCE National Canoe Competition in the past few years will serve as testing grounds for us to see which is the most ideal software to use. Bobby and Jack plan to analyze several hull designs in order to provide variety and see which has the most beneficial aspects.

The Mix Design team went to the lab on Friday to become familiar with mixing concrete for practicality purposes. The team made a progression of three separate mixes in 3 cubes each. We based all three of our mixes using the standard 3 part stone, 2 part sand, 1 part portland cement, and water formula. Mix 1 consisted of stone aggregates with a wide range of sizes taken from the soils lab. For Mix 2, we used smaller aggregates by pouring the stone through a 3/8″ sieve. For Mix 3, we crushed more stone and then run it through the 3/8″ sieve. During this mix, we used a blender to mix all 3 materials into a consistent mix and added enough water in an attempt to balance the strength and workability. All three mixes were poured into the cube forms in a few rodded layers. Finally, we covered the forms with wet burlap to contain the moisture in the concrete. We will wait 2 weeks for the concrete to cure and follow up with testing its strength and comparing the properties of the three different mixes.