[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/concrete toboggan.jpg” caption=”The McMaster Engineering Concrete Toboggan Team, also known as the Old MACdonald farmers, won the 33rd annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race in Winnipeg last month. Photos courtesy of Matt Polera. “]Concrete may seem like an unlikely building material for a toboggan, but McMaster's concrete toboggan won the 33rd annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race in Winnipeg last month with a top speed of 69.2 km/h.

McMaster has participated in the annual event for almost 20 years. The event is Canada's largest undergraduate engineering competition, with 20 to 30 students attending from most Canadian schools. The McMaster Engineering Concrete Toboggan Team consisted of 24 students.

Each competing team must build a toboggan that weighs less than 300 pounds and can hold five riders. All surfaces in contact with the snow must be made of concrete, but the frame and braking devices can be made with a material of the team's choice.

Planning for the toboggan's design began in May 2006, followed by construction in September, starting with the concrete forms using materials that were donated by Hygrade Concrete in St. Catharines.

“The concrete skis were arranged in a GT snowracer
fashion, with two 6-foot side skis and a 2-foot steering ski at the
front,” said Matt Polera, co-captain of the McMaster Engineering Concrete Toboggan Team. “These were all mounted on an aluminum superstructure which houses the braking system and rollcage to protect riders in the event of a roll-over. The aluminum was also donated by Russel Metals in Hamilton, which helped to greatly offset the substantial costs of entering such a competition.”

More than 20 teams participated in the race. Points were awarded for best overall design, fastest speed, best team spirit, best technical report and other criteria. The McMaster team also placed second in both technical report and team spirit.

The five-day competition features a public exhibition where the toboggans are evaluated on their technical merit and a race day where the toboggans are judged on their performance.