https://www.concrete.org/students/studentcompetitions/frcbowlingballcompetition.aspx
What is involved with this competition?
Generally, the teams follow the rules, meet the schedule, and compete at the convention. Teams design and construct bowling balls from a fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) mixture. The types of FRC mixtures permitted for the competition are defined in the competition Rules. Before the competition, teams have several schedule deadlines to meet for registration and other paperwork submittals, as well as design and construction of their bowling balls. This process typically starts 5 to 6 months before the convention competition. Teams must attend and meet the convention schedule to compete with two bowling balls—one for bowling and the other for destructive testing.
What is the objective of the competition?
The objective of this competition is to demonstrate the behavior of fiber reinforcement within concrete, to gain experience in forming and fabricating a fiber-reinforced concrete element, and to encourage creativity with compliance in engineering design and analysis.
Who can participate?
Students currently enrolled in a home school, high school, or an undergraduate college or university program are eligible to participate. Students from a qualifying school form a Team. A Team must Register on the ACI website to compete in the competition. Teams compete at the ACI Concrete Convention against themselves and other qualifying teams. ACI does not require but does encourage ACI chapters, schools, or locations to hold their own competitions to select teams for representation at this international competition.
When and where is the competition?
This competition is typically held every 2 years, and the next competition is scheduled for Sunday 27 March 2022, during the spring ACI Concrete Convention in Orlando, FL. Teams are encouraged to arrive at convention no later than Saturday so that they are prepared for the competition on Sunday.
What happens if the in-person convention is cancelled?
If the 2022 Spring convention becomes virtual, the competition will be postponed to the 2022 Fall convention, which would change the schedule and registration. If cancellation does occur, more details will be provided at that time.
How is the competition judged/scored?
There are two categories of prizes for this competition: Bowling Ball Design and Bowling Ball Analysis. Both prize categories require knowledge and experience about concrete, fiber reinforcement, material behavior, and bowling. For each category, scores are awarded in each of these following tests: specifications, mass, diameter, bowling, and toughness. Each of these test scores are combined and converted within each category to give each team a ranking.
