Abstract: This paper describes how under-graduate students at Laval University managed to develop and use a shotcrete technique for a small construction application. This technique was developed especially for an engineering competition. The students had to build a canoe made out of concrete. It had to be as light as possible and strong enough to survive a race with four paddlers aboard. So, a pumpable light-weight concrete and a shotcrete technique were developed to construct the canoe.
Every year since 1988 in the USA, Master Builders Technologies has sponsored a civil engineering competition. Undergraduate students are chal-lenged to design a concrete mix to build a canoe. In the USA, there are 20 regional competitions. The winners of these regional competitions are invited to the national competition. The winning team from the Canadian competition is also invited to the national competition as an interna-tional entry. To evaluate teams, they must race the canoe, have a display in which technical information is presented, and give an oral presen-tation. The final product is evaluated at the beginning of the races, and at the middle day of the competition for durability. Each team must also produce a design paper in which they explain how they designed and built the canoe, and also how they developed their concrete mix design.
