The Florida Concrete and Products Association (FC&PA) held its 7th annual Concrete Bowling Ball Competition on Friday, Feb 7, 2020, at the FC&PA Headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The FC&PA Education Committee works in connection with the ACI Student Competition to bring a regional competition to Florida. Some of the teams go on to the ACI national competition which will be held at the 2020 ACI Spring convention in Chicago, IL.
Eight teams from Universities across Florida entered the competition with reinforced concrete bowling balls and posters detailing their design, casting process and research, that was judged in six various categories.
The object of the competition was to demonstrate the effect of fiber in reinforcing concrete, to gain experience in forming and fabricating a concrete fiber-reinforced element, and to encourage creativity in engineering design and analysis. The students gained hands-on experience about how to select materials to meet weight limits, strength and toughness of concrete. The teams were required to cast a round object to ensure a straight roll in the actual bowling portion of the competition.
Many factors lead to a successful event and FC&PA wishes to thank Page One Consultants for testing the Concrete Bowling Balls for strength and toughness along with our volunteer judges who joined in for a fun event and lunch.
Of the teams competing, Florida Gulf Coast University won first place, followed by University of Miami, with Embry Riddle securing third place. Please join me in supporting our teams at the national competition.
Gordon McLellan
FC&PA Education Committee Chairman