ACI Egg Protection Device Competition

 

Commonly Asked Questions

2010 EPD Competition Winners

2008 EPD Competition Winners

2006 EPD Competition Winners

2004 EPD Competition Winners

2003 EPD Competition Winners

REGISTRATION FORMS:
Part 1: Online Advance Registration (open till September 27, 2010)
Part 2: Official Registration Form


Objectives  Back to top

Design and build the highest-impact, load-resistant plain or reinforced concrete Egg Protection Device (EPD). Learn and report on concrete’s sustainable benefits related to durability, impact resistance, and other real-life aspects that an EPD simulates.


Prizes  Back to top

First, Second, and Third place entries in each prize category will each be awarded a certificate of recognition; will be recognized in Concrete International magazine, if space allows; and will be recognized on ACI's Web site. In addition, the First Place team will receive a $300 award, the Second Place team will receive $200, and the Third Place team will receive $100.


Rules  

1. Eligibility

  1. Each team must have a supervising faculty advisor who will see that the student team complies with the rules of the competition. The faculty member is permitted to advise more than one team.
  2. Each team must consist of students in high school, technical school, trade school, or undergraduate students of a college or university at the time of casting the EPD. Undergraduate students on cooperative or internship work assignment are also eligible to compete. Although there are no restrictions on the geographical location of the school, all members of a given team must be from the same school.
  3. A team may consist of up to five students.
  4. A student may not be a member of more than one team.
  5. It is strongly recommended that at least one individual (faculty advisor or student team member) be designated to represent each team and be present during the testing of specimens at the time and location specified for this competition. Participation by additional team members is both permitted and encouraged.
  6. Each school will be permitted to enter no more than two teams per school.
  7. Any entry for the Sustainability Report prize category must enter the Structural Category.

2. Material

  1. The binder shall be cementitious material consisting of any combination of the following: portland cement meeting ASTM C150; blended cement meeting ASTM C595 or C1157; slag cement meeting ASTM C 989; fly ash meeting ASTM C618; and silica fume meeting ASTM C1240. Chemical admixtures, meeting ASTM C494 or C1017, are allowed. Epoxies and other polymers, glue, and similar binders shall not be used. The concrete must be cured to the stage that it is a solid (that is, no fresh concrete).
  2. All reinforcement, longitudinal and stirrups (transverse reinforcing), shall not be greater than 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) diameter (approx. 16 gauge). No more than 15 stirrups may be used in the EPD. Bundling of reinforcement for stirrup construction is not permitted. Longitudinal reinforcement shall be limited to 8 bars/wires in a cross section. No wire meshes, soldering, or welding of cages is permitted. (For fabrication of cages, small gauge tie wire or glue is permitted). Fibers are not permitted.
  3. No flat plate type embedments or coverings are allowed (that is, metal or plastic sheets, etc.)
  4. Any type of aggregate may be used, except metal, and must pass through a 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) sieve.

3. Curing and Age of Specimen

  1. Curing shall be at atmospheric pressure. The curing temperatures shall not exceed the boiling point of water. Use of a standard moist-curing room is permitted.
  2. EPDs shall not be older than 8 weeks during the day of competition.

Click to zoom in4. Specimen and Testing Configuration

  1. EPDs must fit into the slot in a base plate 400 mm (15.75 in.) ± 5 mm (0.2 in.) long by 200 mm (7.87 in.) ± 5 mm (0.2 in.) wide (as shown in the diagram).
  2. EPD must provide clear passage of a rectangular template measuring 210 mm (8.27 in.) high by 275 mm (10.83 in.) wide; the top surface of the EPD may not be higher at any point than 250 mm (9.84 in) above bottom of the base (to fit into loading frame).
  3. EPD footings are allowed only at the ends of the base plate slot. The maximum size of the footing is 50 mm (1.97 in) long by 200 mm (7.87 in.) wide. The footings shall be made of concrete only, but reinforcement in compliance with Section 2(b) may be used. Between the footings, the EPD must remain clear of the base plate of the loading frame during testing.
  4. There must be at least a 50 mm (1.97 in.) diameter flat area on top of the EPD, centered 25 mm (0.98 in.) to either side of the centerline (where the load will impact), which must be made out of solid concrete (Reinforcement in compliance with Section 2(b) may be used in this area if unexposed). This will result in a 100 mm (3.94 in.) long area at the center of the EPD where the load will impact (as shown in the diagram).
  5. Loading of the device will not take place along the center line, but 25 mm (0.98 in.) to either direction of the centerline. This direction will be determined on the day of the competition, randomly, by the judges.
  6. The maximum mass of the EPD shall be 3000 grams (6.61 lbs).
  7. Modification of entries shall not be permitted once they are submitted for competition.

5. Qualification and Testing Procedures

  1. Qualification Test
    The competition procedures consist of three steps, all handled by a group of judges appointed by the Chair of ACI Committee S801, Student Activities. First, the report (as described in Section 8) will be evaluated. Second, every EPD entry is individually weighed and checked for size and clearances and compliance with the requirements of Sections 1 to 4 (above) will be checked. Only after the first two qualification steps have been completed will each qualifying EPD be taken to the final step of the destructive test. Refer to Section 1 for final qualification and prize eligibility.
  2. Impact Test
    During this phase, each EPD will be subjected to an impact load of 8.39 kg (18.5 lb) falling, one time, from each of the following increasing heights of 0.5 m (1.64 ft), 1.0 m (3.28 ft), 1.5 m (4.92 ft), 2.0 m (6.56 ft), 2.5 m (8.20 ft), and up to five times from the maximum height of 3.0 m (9.84 ft). The winning EPD is determined based on the maximum energy (load x height) prior to failure (as defined below) and larger number of impact repetitions at 3.0 m (9.84 ft) height (for EPDs reaching this load stage). In the event of a tie (for the EPDs that survive the 5 impact load repetitions at 3.0 m (9.84 ft) height and do not fail), the winning EPDs will be determined based on the minimum mass determined at the beginning of the competition.
  3. Failure Criteria
    Cracking of the egg constitutes failure of the EPD. Cracking of the egg can be due to structural damage of the EPD or spalling of concrete. Note: If due to vibration, the egg is not damaged by the EPD, but instead jumps out of the eggcup, a new egg will be used and the loading will continue. The EPD must be stable and must not fall under its own weight during the test. Stability checks will be performed after every impact load. Unstable EPDs will be disqualified.

6. Sustainability Report - Optional Prize Category

Sustainable development, often defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” must include positive social, economic, and environmental impacts to be regarded as truly sustainable. This Sustainability Report competition will challenge your team to explore how the strategies used in the design and construction of your specific Egg Protection Device can be applied to broader applications of concrete in sustainable development.

  1. Teams entering the Sustainability Report prize category shall complete and submit a report on the sustainable benefits of concrete as used in the design and construction of the Team’s Egg Protection Device. Participation in the Sustainability Report prize category is optional, but must be based upon your entry in the Structural Category.
  2. The report shall be between two and ten standard letter sized pages in length and submitted in accordance with the deadlines and procedures identified below. The judges will determine a score using the indicated scoring percentages (based on a total of 100%), and your report shall contain the following:
  3. Reports must be submitted electronically no later than October 10, 2010, 11:59 p.m. ET. Only PDF documents will be accepted – 5%
  4. Reports must be submitted using appropriate organization, grammar, and units of measurement. Note that units of measurement shall include dual units as noted in Chapter 4 of the ACI Style Guide, available here: http://www.concrete.org/technical/documents/2007StyleManualforweb_001.pdf – 10%
  5. Include a cover page containing the following: – 5%
    1. School name and department
    2. Team members and faculty advisor names
    3. Specimen identification
  6. Discuss how the strategies used in the design and construction of your specific Egg Protection Device can be applied to broader applications of concrete in sustainable development. In addition to discussing impact on the public’s overall quality of life, the discussion shall consider the impact of your design and construction on the following: – 50%
    1. Structural durability and longevity;
    2. Ability of structures to resist cracking;
    3. Ability of structures to resist spalling;
    4. Ability of structures to resist corrosion;
    5. Material and energy savings, including impact of recycled content on reducing the structure’s overall carbon footprint;
    6. Ability of concrete structures to protect against natural and man-made hazards, including extreme force, earthquakes, fire, and/or storms (that is, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods).
  7. Discuss the specific social, economic, and environmental impacts of the design and construction of your Egg Protection Device and how these impacts may apply to broader applications of concrete in sustainable development.
    1. Social impacts – 10%
    2. Economic impacts – 10%
    3. Environmental impacts – 10%

All Sustainability Report prize category reports shall be scored between zero and 100%, with 100% being the best. In addition to recognition at the Student Lunch and potentially in Concrete International magazine, the first place team will receive a $300 prize, second place will receive a $200 prize, and third place will receive a $100 prize.

7. Judging

  1. The judges will be appointed by the Chair of Committee S801.
  2. The judges will determine whether or not the rules have been followed.
  3. The decision of the judges will be final, and appeals will not be considered.
  4. Advance registration is required. All contestants must submit an Advance Registration Form for each entry. This form must be submitted to ACI headquarters by September 27, 2010. It indicates your intent to enter an EPD in the competition. The actual EPD, with the Official Information Form, is submitted on the day of the competition. See the ACI Web site for registration forms and additional information.

8. Submitting the EPD and Supporting Materials

The EPD and supporting materials, accompanied by the Official Information Form, and with the identifying markings clearly displayed on it, shall be submitted in person no later than 11:00 a.m. on the day of the competition. Each team shall provide, along with the EPD, a hard copy of an EPD report as described below on standard letter sized paper on the day of competition. Failure to provide the following documentation will disqualify a team from participating.

  1. Each EPD report shall contain photographs of the following:
    1. Batching and placing procedures
    2. Reinforcing cage construction and layout (including photo of completed cage)
    3. Casting of the specimen
    4. Curing procedures
  2. Describe the mixture design in detail, the manufacturing process of the EPD, selection of the reinforcing and its layout, and the curing processes.

9. Compliance with ACI-EPD Competition Rules:

ACI reserves the right to perform detailed examination and check entries for compliance with the competition rules. Due to the complexity of this task, the examination may be done after the competition. If the examination shows that a team did not follow the rules, the team, its advisor, and all of the advisor's teams will be disqualified. ACI Committee S801 will further document recommendations to sanction the team and its advisor and/or the school/university's participation in future competitions.

10. Contact Information

Lacey Jones
American Concrete Institute
38800 Country Club Drive
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
Fax: (248) 848-3801
E-mail: students@concrete.org