University of Alberta GNCTR 2015

Competition History

​

The first Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) competition first took place in Red Deer, Alberta in 1974. This annual event brings together over 400 engineering students from post-secondary schools across Canada. GNCTR is hosted by a different university each year and takes place at the end of January or beginning of February. The 2015 competition dates are January 21-25 in Kelowna, BC.

 

This competition allows students to showcase their technical knowledge of materials and structures and their ability to design and work with concrete. Students also build an understanding of what it's like to be on a technical team and work with others to create a final product. Awards are given out for several judged categories such as best braking design, best concrete design, shortest stopping distance, best team spirit and best team overall. 

 

Each toboggan must undergo and pass a safety inspection before teams are allowed to race down the hill. 



Rules

The basic rules of this competition are:

 

1. The running surface must be made entirely of concrete

 

2. The toboggan must safely carry 5 riders

 

3. The toboggan must have a safety roll bar

 

4. The toboggan must have a working brake and steering system

 

5. The toboggan must weigh less than 135 kg (300 lbs) excluding riders.

 

 

Other Deliverables

 

1. A technical display and presentation - to showcase the toboggan and its key design elements

 

2. A theme and costume - to show team spirit

 

 

 

For more information on the competition events please visit the official GNCTR 2015 website.

 

​