Under the long-standing motto ‘Bock auf Beton’ and this year’s theme ‘Betonauten’, the student team from the University of Stuttgart demonstrated at the 20th German Concrete Canoe Regatta just how innovative, sustainable and forward-looking ideas made from concrete can be.
Over 1,000 students from more than 50 universities in Germany and abroad competed against one another in preliminary, semi-final and final heats on the regatta course in Brandenburg an der Havel. Alongside the sporting competition, the focus was primarily on engineering skills, material efficiency, recycling and creative design ideas.
To realise the full potential of the building material, the Stuttgart team employed fundamentally different manufacturing techniques for its two boats. The “Obi-Wan Kanubi” canoe was crafted with precision by hand: by applying the material manually, layer by layer, using a trowel, and utilising a special lightweight concrete containing expanded glass, the team achieved an extremely lightweight construction with minimal wall thickness. For the second boat, the “Milky Wave”, however, modern casting methods were used. An innovative, self-compacting concrete was developed for this canoe; optimised for sustainability through the use of recycled aggregates and concrete rubble powder as additives, it was then poured into a closed formwork.
Exciting days of racing, wonderful experiences and a great sense of camaraderie amongst the teams made the regatta in Brandenburg a real highlight of the year. A huge thank you to all our supporters, the organisers and, of course, our team, who gave it their all despite the heat!
We’re proud of our boats and are taking plenty of inspiration home with us!
