Giving to a Concrete Cause

Every year, a team of UB engineering students does what appears impossible: races across a lake in a canoe made entirely of concrete. As members of UB’s American Society of Civil Engineers (UB ASCE), the team of students takes part in the annual competition, going toe-to-toe against schools across the region. In June, they were one of 19 teams to earn an invitation to the ASCE’s nationwide Concrete Canoe Competition and took home fifth in the men’s slalom race.

The UB team’s travel and participation in the Concrete Canoe Competition, as well as another coveted program, the ASCE’s Student Steel Bridge Competition, are made possible through donor gifts like those made by UB alumnus Larry Mathews, BS ’69.

“The donors are the backbone of what we do and we’re grateful for all that they do,” says recent graduate Riley Blasiak, BS ’22, who served as pro-ject manager for the UB teams. 

As project manager, Blasiak coordinated the design and construction of the canoe, which is graded on aesthetics as well as a written report and oral presentation, all before its speed is put to the test in a race. During the Student Steel Bridge Competition, the students design a small-scale, 20-foot bridge to meet specifications as efficiently as possible. The bridges are judged on weight, appearance, build time and strength. Blasiak participated in both competitions throughout her years as an undergraduate and helped the 2022 team place sixth at the national Student Steel Bridge Competition. 

“I thought that the concrete canoe was super cool because I didn’t understand how concrete could float. That’s what got me involved in that design team. Getting to know people and be a part of the projects is what kept me in,” she says. Blasiak plans to attend graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study water resources.

The competitions also provided her with the opportunity to learn design programs ahead of the UB curriculum and put lessons from the classroom into practice during a period when most of her courses were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Students make critical connections with professionals as well, says Mathews, who was first introduced to UB ASCE through his membership in the Western New York Chapter of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design.

Mathews, a senior engineer at Lu Engineers, donates over $5,000 each year through the Association for Bridge Construction and Design to help UB compete in the Student Steel Bridge Competition. In addition to providing funds, he shares his expertise in bridge engineering with the students.  

“I’ve always worked under the model of ‘where would you be without UB,’” says Mathews. “Giving back is rewarding. For the effort you put in, you gain a bigger personal reward.”

In 2023, the regional competitions will be held at UB and the success of UB ASCE as hosts will largely depend on additional donor support, says Blasiak.