The University of Toronto Concrete Toboggan Team (UofTBog) took home two prizes at the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race in January: Most Original/Innovative Toboggan and Most Aesthetically Pleasing Toboggan.
The annual competition pits engineering teams from across Canada and the U.S. against each other to design a steerable sled that goes fast, but that can also brake effectively on demand. “The design involves a multidisciplinary approach,” says Ozan Coskun (Year 3 MIE), co-captain of this year’s UofTBog team. “You need civil engineers, mechanical engineers and others to come together.”
Despite the name, only the skis must be made of concrete, and designs typically include protective roll cages made of aluminum or steel. This year, UofTBog was the first to try an enclosed shell made of strong, lightweight carbon fibre composite.
“There are extra points awarded to a team that ends up being lighter than 275 pounds,”says Matthew Frade (Year 4 MIE), the team’s other co-captain. “Making the shell of carbon fibre was a big design challenge, but in the end it conferred a great weight advantage because not very many other teams were able to meet that requirement.”
The competition rewards team spirit as well as engineering prowess. UofTBog’s vessel was dubbed “The Black Pearl” in homage to the ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and the team members competed in pirate regalia, which likely improved their standing in the “aesthetic” category.
