Concrete Toboggan

Tbog is short for the University of Toronto Concrete Toboggan Team. We are a team of engineering students who compete in the annual Northern_Concrete_Toboggan_Race Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race

(GNCTR). GNCTR is one of the oldest and the largest engineering design competition in Canada, founded in 1974. Each year, over 400 Canadian engineering students come together and do what engineers do best: race concrete toboggans down ski hills at 70 km/h. To compete, each team must construct a toboggan that has concrete running surfaces, weighs less than 300 lbs, has functioning steering and braking systems, and can safely carry 5 riders down the hill. To see what GNCTR has been like through the years, check out these videos:
- Rick Mercer Report 2011
- UofT toboggan crash 2010
- GNCTR Toronto 2020

The toboggan itself is a carefully designed and machined. Our design process begins with generating a solid model of the proposed superstructure design, including the steering and braking systems. This model is analyzed and revised to optimize performance, weight, and stress concentrations. Meanwhile, the concrete mix is formulated and goes through a series of iterations to produce the highest strength-to-weight ratio (among other factors). Finally, after the designs have been finalized, construction of the toboggan begins—this stage requires students with machine shop and concrete pouring experience. Typically, UofT is the only team with a fully carbon fibre shell at competition.

Throughout the years, our team has done extremely well in all categories of the competition—all thanks to the help and support from our generous sponsors. In most recent history, the team came in first place overall in the Toronto 2020 competition, breaking the competition's all-time record for speed at 73km/h. Here are some more of our distinguished achievements from the past few years:

Toronto 2020

• 1st place for Overall Competition
• 1st place for Fastest Run (73km/h)
• 1st place for Best Braking Performance
• 1st place for King of the Hill Tournament Performance
• 2nd place for Safety Design
• 2nd place for Best Costume Design
• 2nd place for Best Branding Outreach
• 4th place for Best Superstructure

''''' Online Competition 2021

• 2nd place for Overall Toboggan Design
• 1st place for Mechanical Design
  • 1st place for Braking Design
  • 2nd place for Steering Design
  • 3rd place for Superstructure Design
• 1st place for Best Technical Report
• 2nd place for Concrete Design

Note: The 2021 competition was held online for the first time in GNCTR history due to COVID-19 restrictions. No toboggans could be fabricated, so the competition was judged based on design, technical report, online presentations, and online event participation.