The mix team coordinated the placing of concrete on February 28th, 2023. The senior team members, as well as junior team members and a freshman volunteer, worked to place the concrete by hand. The placement was conducted in two rounds. The initial layer placed first to a ½” thickness, and the second layer on concrete placed over fiberglass mesh reinforcement also to a thickness of ½”. The total thickness of the final product would be 1” in two layers, separated by tension reinforcement.
The concrete mix was split into two 3 CF batches. The first batch did not mix well in the mixer, with the water and cement clumping into balls and leaving the aggregates dry. The mix had to be scooped out into wheelbarrows and mixed by hand. The first layer was successfully placed after a few hours of hard work. The mix was difficult to work with, and slowed down the progress of the team. After a short break, the team began working to place the second layer on top of the reinforcement. The team faced a major setback when a significant portion of the placed mix fell off of the low friction mold surface. The decision to cut the reinforcement at that section and quickly replace the section lost was made by the team leader.
After the canoe was completed, it was covered in burlap and plastic to retain moisture during the curing period. The canoe would be watered twice a day for 28-days by the senior members of the team.
