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CU Boulder’s concrete canoe team placed third overall at the regional American Society of Civil Engineers Rocky Mountain Student Symposium, which took place April 10-12 in Fort Collins and was hosted by Colorado State University. The popular student group—known for designing and racing a concrete canoe each year—had a record 28 CU Boulder civil, architectural and mechanical engineering students participating in this year's events.��

“Our chapter and student enthusiasm for the competitions has grown,” said ASCE chapter president��Dana Majer, a senior majoring in��architectural engineering. “It has been exciting to see more students get involved each year.”

In the canoe races,��CU Boulder students secured first place in the Men’s Slalom and third place in Best Final Product, the Women’s Slalom and the Co-ed��

The Concrete Canoe team adds the final layer to their canoe on "Pour Day."

Sprint. In other conference competitions, the university placed first in the Construction Institute, second in Surveying and third in Sustainable Solutions.

It was the students’ first opportunity to race, as the open water races had been canceled for the past two years due to poor weather.

“The weekend was filled with a lot of fun, teamwork and learning,” Majer said.

The build

Concrete canoes float due to a unique concrete mix, which has a unit density lower than water. Student teams develop new concrete mixes each year.

More than 30 CU Boulder students helped build this year’s concrete canoe, which weighs approximately 220 pounds.��

“It can be a challenge to move it from the lab into the U-Haul, and then into the display,” Majer said. “We have all hands on deck so that we don’t risk dropping it.”��

During the construction process this year, the team forgot to apply Crisco, a vegetable shortening used to keep the concrete from sticking to the foam mold–but the team found a solution to separate the two. For the first time, the group implemented post-tensioning—a technique that uses steel tendons, cables or rods to reinforce the concrete—resulting in a lighter, stronger canoe, with a reduced risk of cracking.

Dana Majer, right, ASCE chapter president, holds the Overall Symposium third-place award, while Philip Weller, the concrete canoe captain, displays the third-place award for Best Final Product.

The team took extra precautions this year, especially when strapping the canoe into the trailer, as last year’s concrete canoe broke during transit to the competition.

Once on site, they faced another critical test. Before racing the boat, teams must complete a “swamp test,” which involves fully submerging the canoe in water. To pass, the canoe must resurface on its own.��

“We passed, therefore we were able to race,” Majer said.

Another first

This year marked the first time a faculty advisor race was included on race day. CU Boulder’s concrete canoe faculty advisor, Associate Teaching Professor��Chris Senseney, raced against South Dakota School of Mines and the U.S. Air Force Academy. CU came in third place.

“It was super exciting,” Majer said. “It was so much fun to see and watch Chris in the canoe, especially since he has helped so much over the years.”��

Julian Kotara and Mary Grace Lehmkuhl, both juniors in architectural engineering, will serve as next year's ASCE co-presidents. They hope to build on this year's success at the next ASCE Rocky Mountain Student Symposium, hosted by the South Dakota School of Mines.

“We’re really excited about next year, with all the new interest from students and sponsors,” Kotara said.​

Also of note, unlike past years, the canoe wasn’t damaged while racing.��

“Now we have a practice canoe for future years!” Majer said.

Students interested in joining the ASCE student chapter and the 2025-26 team can email��asce@colorado.edu and follow on Instagram.