Today, Dr.Bechtel, Rachel, and Kevin tested the cubes from the preliminary mix design. Although the mix was not expected to perform well, being it was our first, it was a good experience to work with the compression machine. The test results verified our assumptions about the strength of the mix. The cubes yielded a strength of 132 psi, 140 psi, and 115 psi for cubes 1 through 3, respectively. See the image below of the compression machine that was used in today's testing.
Something learned from today is that continuous mix design and testing will ultimately be the key in selecting a mix design. The curing of the mix will indicate if the mix floats and stays together once saturated and the testing will indicate the strength of the mix. Until the mix is less dense than water, the cube stays together, and the strength is high enough, the design and testing cycle will continue.
There has also been progress on the hull design! So far, a preliminary decision matrix was created in order to choose the best shape and characteristics for the canoe. The canoe will be chosen based on one of the four fundamental hull shapes which were broken down in terms of characteristics the team finds most essential. Speed, stability, tracking, and maneuverability were the four characteristics that were chosen, and a corresponding weight was given to each. Each shape was rated on a scale of 1 to 4, where a total higher score meant the canoe is more suitable compared to others. Every shape has its positives and negatives, so tweaking a specific property of the canoe could in theory boost a specific shape's flaws while simultaneously hurting another. Based on these properties, a rough combination of characteristics was listed for each type of canoe shape. These will be broken down into a few possible design selections in the near future. Below is the design matrix.
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