Engineering students at University of Tennessee Chattanooga face an unusual challenge as part of their curriculum: make a maneuverable and stable canoe out of concrete. Then, the students pass that concrete canoe to the rowing team and hop into a traditional rowing shell and race the rowers.
On November 16, 2025, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC) Rowing Team took to the student-built concrete canoe to race it against engineering students, who used a traditional rowing shell, through 500 meters of chop on the Tennessee River in the inaugural “Athletes vs. Engineers” race. The engineering students in the rowing shell won by a significant margin, but the concrete canoe was a success in durability and buoyancy.
University of Tennessee Chattanooga students tackle the unusual task of designing, constructing and racing concrete canoes…