Pluto is made of Concrete

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Concrete floats? Who knew! MSA’s Mavericks get to work at the annual Concrete Canoe Competition.

Who knew Pluto would float? The Applied Engineering team did.

This spring, Miller’s Applied Engineering students continued their tradition of competing in the collegiate Concrete Canoe Competition. As the only high school team in the country to take on this complex challenge, our Mavericks once again demonstrated their creativity, skill, and determination—designing and building their most impressive canoe to date.

What is a Concrete Canoe Competition you might ask?

The Concrete Canoe Competition is an annual engineering contest organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). It challenges college students (and, in Miller's case, high school students) to design, build, and race a canoe made entirely out of concrete.

Here’s how it works:

• Engineering Design: Teams must apply real-world engineering principles to create a structurally sound, buoyant, and maneuverable canoe made from concrete.

• Innovation & Research: Students develop custom concrete mixes that are light enough to float but strong enough to support paddlers and endure race conditions.

• Report & Presentation: Teams submit a detailed technical report and give a formal presentation about their design and construction process.

• Races: The final test is a series of races (sprint and endurance) held on water, where teams prove their canoe’s performance and durability.

The competition emphasizes collaboration, problem-solving, and hands-on application of civil engineering. It’s widely considered one of the most demanding and respected student engineering challenges. That Miller School of Albemarle competes as a high school is remarkable and sets the program apart nationally.

Thanks to Pree Witchucharn and Siri Herlevsen for documenting the team's journey. Their photo journal captures the energy and effort of the project.