A co-ed team of Missouri University of Science and Technology students will once again try to prove that concrete floats during a competition April 23-24 in Norman, Okla.

Missouri S&T’s Concrete Canoe Team will be competing against approximately a dozen other teams from universities in the region. The teams are judged on design, oral presentations and racing events.

The canoes must be made from a concrete mix that incorporates two recycled aggregates. The Missouri S&T students used recycled glass and plastic in their mix.

Normal concrete used in a construction project weighs about 150 pounds per cubic foot. For these canoes, the lighter aggregate mixtures of concrete are used.

“We have a sturdy canoe and have really practiced our paddling this year,” says Carolyn Pearson, a senior in civil engineering at S&T. “We expect to win some races.”

The annual concrete canoe races take place during the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Mid-Continent Regional Conference. Missouri S&T’s Steel Bridge Team will also participate in a competition during the conference.

The steel bridges are built to scale. Teams are judged in design, construction speed and structural efficiency.