UA Engineering Students to Compete in Concrete Canoe Event

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A team of engineering students at The University of Alabama will enter the American Society of Civil Engineers’ National Concrete Canoe Competition March 23-25 in Tallahassee, Fla.

The team began working on the canoe, April’s Fury, in Aug. 2011. The team first designed a concrete mix to use, then poured the mold and allowed the boat to cure. During the spring semester, the team has sanded and painted the canoe, as well as created displays for the presentation portion of the competition.

The team drew inspiration for the design of April’s Fury from the tornado that swept through Tuscaloosa April 27, 2011. The canoe is not focused on the destruction of the tornado, but the recovery and rebuilding of the city. Showcasing the team’s inspiration, April’s Fury is stained to look as though the top layer is being ripped off with houndstooth showing through underneath.

In the competition, there are four parts to the judging: canoe design, engineering technical paper, oral presentation and paddling. The team has practiced rowing weekly in preparation for the men’s sprint, women’s sprint, men’s endurance, women’s endurance and co-ed endurance races.

The team consists of the following:

• Matt Atwell, a sophomore civil engineering major from Maxwell Air Force Base
• Maddy Bodiford, a freshman civil engineering major from Newnan, Ga.
• Katy Buddemeyer, a sophomore biology major from Columbia, Mo.
• Steven Burroughs, a sophomore civil engineering major from Saraland
• Kiley Byram, a junior civil engineering major from Ashville
• Luke Colburn, a junior computer science major from Northport
• Alexander Fraser, a sophomore civil engineering major from Pinson
• Owen Kileen, a sophomore civil engineering major from Preston, Conn.
• Nathan Klenke, a sophomore civil engineering major from Lebanon, Ohio.
• Tyler Matthews, a senior civil engineering major from Jacksonville, Fla.
• Thomas Moat, a senior civil engineering major from Tuscaloosa
• Josh Morrison, a senior civil engineering major from Altoona
• James New, a freshman civil engineering major from Hockessin, Del.
• Carrie Pope, a senior construction engineering major from Linden
• Matt Sims, a senior civil engineering major from Adger
• Chandler Watkins, a senior civil engineering major from Florence

The National Concrete Canoe Competition is organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 146,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 3,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last eight years, students in the College have been named USA TodayAll-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.