ChemMasters Partners with Engineering Students to Create Concrete Canoes

Dubbed “The Americas Cup of Civil Engineering”, the annual concrete canoe contest is hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as a means of inspiring civil engineering students from across the country to combine engineering excellence with hydrodynamic design. The result… concrete canoes that actually float on water!

During the course of their design and construction, engineering students from across the country come to ChemMasters in order to cast, seal, waterproof and beautify their concrete canoes. From the University of California at Berkley on the west coast, to Clemson University on the east coast, to Cleveland State University, University of Illinois, Michigan Technological University, Purdue University, Cornell University, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown… and many others in-between… engineering students know ChemMasters as a generous source of quality products to maximize the performance of their concrete canoe.

Project Description: Casting a concrete canoe within a fiberglass mold required the use of an environmentally friendly release agent with excellent parting characteristics, followed by patching and sealing for water repellency. Safe-Slip is a water-based, dual action release agent suitable for use on all types of forming materials. ChemSpeed 75 is a fast setting structural mortar that can be used in select form and pour applications. ChemPatch VO1 is a single component structural repair mortar with polymer and fibers. Crystal Clear A and Polyseal-A are low-VOC film forming curing and sealing compounds with high gloss finish and excellent water repellency.

ChemMasters has provided material support at no cost to engineering school teams from:

• Clemson University
• Cleveland State University
• Cornell University
• George Washington University
• Michigan Technological University
• Purdue University
• University of California at Berkley
• University of Illinois
• University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

ChemMasters products used in the creation of various team concrete canoes include: