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1 Rules for the fiber-reinforced concrete bowling ball competition

2 Please See Document 12, Overview for additional information
3
4 Student team
5
6 Only 1 team per school is eligible for this competition.
7 All members of a given team must be from the same school.
8 A team is limited to two to eight students currently enrolled in a high school or an
9 undergraduate college or university program.
10 Undergraduate students on cooperative or internship work assignment are eligible to
11 compete.
12 Each team must have a supervising faculty advisor who will see that the team complies
13 with the rules of the competition.
14
15 A faculty advisor and 2-student team members must be designated to represent the team
16 as primary contacts.
17 At least one individual (faculty advisor or student team member) must be present at
18 convention for each of the bowling ball tests.
19 Each team must submit files on time to be eligible for prizes.
20 ACI encourages schools or locations to hold their own competitions to select the team
21 that will represent them at this international competition.
22
23 Materials and curing
24
25 Curing shall be at atmospheric pressure.
26 The curing temperatures shall not exceed the boiling point of water.
27 Use of a standard moist-curing room is permitted.
28
29 The bowling ball must be made from a fiber-reinforced concrete mixture.
30 Fiber suppliers from the committee are listed on the web.
31 Also, fiber manufacturers are listed in the Fiber Reinforced Concrete Association
32 http://fiberreinforcedconcrete.org
33 The fiber-reinforced concrete mixture design shall include fibers meeting their respective
34 ASTM specification.
35 The maximum length of the fiber is 60 mm.
36 The fibers may be used at any dosage and volume fraction.
37 No other type of reinforcement is allowed.
38
39 Only the Mixture materials listed in the Design Example can be used.
40 The Mixture materials are to meet ASTM standards listed as applicable.
41 No other Mixture materials are allowed.
42 Filler materials are not Mixture materials.
43 Not all the materials listed are required to be used.
44
45 Filling of honeycombed surfaces after casting is allowed.

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46 Filling materials must be selected from the exact same materials used in the original
47 concrete mixture.
48 Latex based paints are listed and allowed, though are not required.
49
50 The bowling balls may have layers or be solid (homogeneous) or core-filled.
51 The core-filled maximum density of the filler material shall be 2,400 kg/m3 or less.
52 The use of bowling ball filler is optional.
53 Use either one or two filler materials or no filler.
54 Expanded polystyrene beads are acceptable filler.
55 Another acceptable filler is made of primarily 1 material (for example, rubber balloon).
56 Report the materials used and the total volume of the filler used.
57
58 Report bowling ball paint color used.
59 The bowling balls do not have to be painted.
60 An unpainted space 60 mm wide horizontally and 15 mm in height is required.
61
62 Bowling ball specimen
63
64 With the flat spot on the bottom, 90 degrees up is mid-height of the unpainted space.
65 The unpainted space is provided for the team name and ball number.
66 The team name and ball number lettering height is 10 mm or more.
67 The lettering is black permanent marker.
68 Each team will have been assigned a team name of 5 characters.
69 The characters written on the ball will be the team name, dash, and then digit 1 or 2.
70 The digits are to distinguish one ball from the other.
71 For example, team name for ball 2 could be this 5TNAM-2.
72
73 Bowling ball competition
74
75 Each team shall bring 2-balls for the competition and testing at the convention.
76 Both balls will be used in the competition and based on the judges' selection.
77 The judge will select either ball 1 or 2 for crushing or bowling.
78 The judges may apply a penalty if a team’s chosen ball is disqualified during either the
79 Mass Test or the Diameter Test.
80
81 Specifications Test (10% of each Category)
82
83 Each team must submit their forms and files for consideration for prizes.
84 Fill forms and files completely, correctly, and in a readable and timely manner.
85 Compliance with these specifications and files and schedule will establish your score.
86 Directions for filling forms and files are mostly self-explanatory with examples.
87
88 Before convention, the judges will evaluate the files.
89 Safe and professional behavior is expected in the competition.
90 During the competition, the judges will evaluate the teams for their behavior.
91 Disruptive and unsafe behavior will be penalized in the scoring of the team.

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92
93 Mass Test (10% of each Category)
94
95 Each bowling ball mass shall not exceed 5.5 kg.
96 The judges shall weigh each ball to verify that it meets the mass requirements.
97 The mass of each ball will be determined and documented by the judges.
98 All balls will be weighed using the same scale of the judges’ choice.
99 The actual mass of the bowling ball in kg will be the mass test score carried through to
100 the evaluation phase of the competition.
101
102 If the ball weighs more than 5.5 kg, it shall be disqualified and the other ball tested.
103 If both balls fail the Mass Test, the team will be disqualified from the Prize competition.
104
105 Diameter Test (10% of each Category)
106
107 The bowling ball shall be spherical.
108 The bowling ball shall measure 200 ± 15 mm diameter.
109 Each ball must have a flat spot measuring 20 to 25 mm in diameter to stabilize the ball.
110 The diameter of the ball at the flat spot shall be ± 5 mm of the average of the three
111 different axes.
112 Each ball that meets the Mass Test will be measured along three different axes arbitrarily
113 selected by the judges for adherence to the bowling ball diameter consistency
114 requirements set forth in these rules.
115 Three specific diameter measurements will be recorded (in millimeters) as the scores for
116 the diameter test to be carried through to the Evaluation Phase of the competition.
117
118 If any of the diameter measurements of the bowling ball are greater or less than the
119 design standard tolerance, the ball shall be disqualified and the other ball tested.
120 If both balls fail the Diameter Consistency Test, the team will be disqualified from the
121 Prize competition.
122
123 A team may not compete in the Prize competition unless 1-ball has passed both the mass
124 and diameter tests.
125 Modification of entries shall not be permitted once they are accepted for the competition
126 and have passed both the mass and diameter tests.
127 If a team fails both tests with both balls, the head judges may allow the team to continue
128 in the competition but are not required to do so.
129
130 Bowling Test (30% of each Category)
131
132 The bowling apparatus (ramp and alley) will be provided at the competition.
133 One and only one team member can be identified as the “Team Bowler” and another
134 team member will retrieve the bowled ball and return the ball to the Team Bowler.
135 The Team Bowler, with no assistance from any other members of the team, will position
136 the test ball at the top of a V-shaped ramp and release it down the ramp onto a flat, non-
137 oiled, hard-surfaced lane.

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138 The Ramp is approximately 1470 mm long, 670 mm wide, and 620 mm in height to
139 achieve a reasonable ball speed.
140 The bowling lane (or alley) will be approximately 1000 mm wide and 4000 mm long or
141 longer.
142
143 Each team will “roll” and score modified frames of bowling.
144 Six standard-sized bowling pins will be used and will be positioned and spaced in a
145 pattern chosen by the judges.
146 During the day of the competition, the judges will decide these details based upon the
147 total number of teams for the competition:
148 1-Pin arrangement,
149 2-How many rolls per frame,
150 3-How many frames will be bowled, and
151 4-Horizontal adjustments to the ramp for aiming the ball.
152
153 The team’s score at the completion of the number of frames selected for the competition
154 by the judges will be the Bowling Test Score to be carried through to the Point
155 Evaluation Phase of the competition.
156
157 The inclined ramp must be used to deliver the ball.
158 Under no circumstances is the ball to be thrown, launched, or catapulted down the alley
159 toward the pins.
160 If the bowl rolls off the side of the alley prior to striking the pins, it is considered a gutter
161 ball and no pins will be scored for that roll.
162 Once the bowling ball is released and begins its descent down the incline, the ball may
163 not be chased after or interrupted as the ball is rolling.
164 Ball return will be by another team member.
165 No running or walking fast or throwing the balls as a return.
166 If a ball return is available, the ball return will be at a lower speed and angle and used in
167 the same manner as the ball was introduced to the bowling lane.
168
169 The resulting pin count will be recorded as the score for that ball.
170 The judges will be responsible for setting the pins and recording the score.
171
172 Further, judges will have the right to control the time for the bowling by imposing a time
173 limit for the bowling portion of the competition to ensure that not too much time is spent
174 aiming or adjusting for the ball roll or a maximum amount of time to accomplish the
175 amount of rolls for the chosen number of frames.
176 In this case and if the total allowed number of rolls are not completed at the expiration of
177 the allowed time, the score attained during the time limit will be the team’s bowling
178 score.
179
180 No practice rolls will be given to any team or individual prior to the test.
181 Any practice rolls on ACI equipment will result in team disqualification.
182
183 Toughness Test (20% of each Category)

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184
185 The test ball will be placed in a testing apparatus for controlled crushing.
186 The load shall be applied to maintain a constant rate of displacement (crushing).
187 During the day of the competition, the judges will decide the displacement rate based
188 upon the total number of teams for the competition.
189 The displacement rate will be set between 5.00 and 12.50 mm per minute.
190 The load will be recorded for every 5 mm of crosshead displacement and the average of
191 the five loads will be computed.
192 The average load for these five displacement points will be the Toughness Load Test
193 Score to be carried through to the Evaluation Phase of the competition.
194
195 Load Test (20% of each Category)
196
197 The load will be applied until the crosshead displacement of the testing apparatus has
198 traveled 25 mm.
199 The load at 25 mm is considered the Final Deformation Load.
200 This load is considered the Final Deformation Load Test Score to be carried through to
201 the Evaluation Phase of the competition.