Congratulations to our McMaster Capstone Design Team and their Instructors, who finished in first place at the recent Capstone Design competition in Niagara Falls! The competition ran alongside the annual conference of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering on June 5 – 7, 2024. The outstanding performance of the McMaster Civil Engineering team is yet another testimony to our innovative approach to engineering education, and our overarching commitment to building healthier communities for a brighter world.
Around 18 teams from across the country participated in the two-part competition. On Thursday morning, each team had four minutes to present their project in a slideshow. The afternoon consisted of the poster presentation session that included a 4-minute private Q&A between the judges and each team. The winners were announced at the CSCE Awards Gala on Friday evening.
The capstone team “Velocity Engineering” created what is arguably the most unique project in the history of the competition. Their design centred on the Great Lakes International Formula 1 Race Circuit, which will be an entertainment hub that attracts tourists from all over the world to attend what would be Formula 1’s newest race weekend. Located in Fort Erie, Ontario, this venue features a 6.7 km racetrack built to meet all specifications as required by Formula 1’s governing body.
The site also includes a a three-storey framed structure that will act as a visitor’s centre. This space also includes garages for the teams to work on their cars, additional event spaces for year-round entertainment, concessions and catering services, and a top floor balcony overlooking the start-finish straight on the track. Standalone modular grandstand structures will also be located in 31 different locations surrounding the track, containing necessary trackside services and offering spectator seating for over 100,000 patrons.
Heartfelt congratulations to our capstone team members which included: Natalie Cameron, Jack Ducheck, Kyle Irwin, Mack Wallhouse, and Justin Wiseman, as well as our Capstone Design Instructors: Drs. Samir Chidiac, Peijun Guo, Yiping Guo, and Zoe Li.