Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers News

Impact of USACE R&D continues to make history

ERDC — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 13:22:36 GMT

For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, innovation at every level is critically important to delivering on the historic mission requirements of today and preparing for the unknown engineering challenges of tomorrow. To recognize the importance and global impact of research and development across the enterprise, USACE has released the FY24 USACE R&D Annual Report.

USACE ‘pushing the boundaries’ of research and development

Timothy Reeves — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and its Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) announce the release of the FY23 USACE R&D Annual Report, a deep dive into the innovation and critical thinking throughout the organization to tackle tough engineering challenges and transform future operations. The report highlights dozens of ongoing projects and programs being executed in USACE’s premier research laboratories and the ways in which the techniques and technologies developed in those laboratories are being deployed across the USACE enterprise.

Crowdsourcing bathymetry could provide near-time picture of nation’s inland waterways

By Tim Reeves, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:00:00 GMT

The more the merrier. That common saying could be the motto for an effort within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to create a near real-time system that would track the safety and accessibility of our nation’s inland waterways.

Global Hydro Intelligence analysis unlocks secure water resources

Justus Reed, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:00:00 GMT

Through the mighty waves and gentle streams of Earth’s waters flow countless opportunities for scientific discovery. Scientists with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) are exploring potential opportunities by utilizing a collaboration between ERDC, NASA, U.S. Air Force, and other DOD agencies in the development of Global Hydro Intelligence (GHI). GHI integrates remote sensing, atmospheric, land surface, and hydrological models that provide on-demand hydrological data at the global scale.

Natural features to play crucial role in building a more resilient Great Lakes coastline

David F. Bucaro Chief, Planning Branch, USACE Chicago District — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:00:00 GMT

Communities along the Great Lakes coastline are experiencing increased frequency in coastal flooding and erosion, causing property damage, putting lives at risk, and disrupting local economies. Recent historic high lake levels illustrate the widespread vulnerabilities along the coast.

Dwindling capacity at Tuttle Creek Reservoir calls for an urgent and innovative solution

Carol Coleman, ERDC public affairs specialist — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is no stranger to sediment build-up issues. The organization is responsible for maintaining and managing thousands of miles of inland and intracoastal waterways, channels, ports and harbors with a dredging budget of more than $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2023 alone. Presently, USACE researchers are taking on a slightly different challenge and investigating new methods to diminish the accumulation of sediment in lakes and reservoirs caused by dams.

Research shows minerals can help mitigate PFAS in groundwater

Mary Miller Morgan — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:10:00 GMT

Emerging chemicals of environmental concern in water represent a major challenge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in terms of exposure risks to humans and the environment. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is working to understand detection, fate and transport, and remediation of a group of these chemicals, generally known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Wrackcycling: Using nature to build stronger dune systems

Crystal Maynard — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:10:00 GMT

Most beachgoers don’t think anything of the brown line of seaweed and other organic material that marks beach tide lines. This natural material that washes onto the beach – called wrack – includes algae, sea grasses and some invertebrates such as sponges and soft corals. Despite its unassumingness, wrack may be essential to helping dunes in protecting coastal shorelines from damaging weather such as hurricanes and tropical storms.

EWN toolkit streamlines and standardizes USACE Coastal Storm Modeling

Carol C. Coleman — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:05:00 GMT

Natural and nature-based features (NNBFs) are becoming more prevalent in coastal resiliency and protection design as climate change threatens social, economic and environmental systems along the U.S. coast. However, planners need enhanced processes to predict and quantify their benefits prior to implementation.

Digital buoys could expand inland navigation communications network

Tim Reeves, ERDC Corporate Communications Office — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:00:00 GMT

With more than 12,000 buoys already playing a critical role in our nation’s inland navigation system, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is researching a way to use patented technology to make those buoys even more valuable.

From Antiquated to Automated: USACE wetland delineation tool helps revolutionize regulatory process

Crystal Maynard, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, United States has lost more than half of its wetlands since the 1600s, and approximately 35 percent of the world’s wetlands were lost between 1970 and 2015. To protect against further impairment of wetlands and the essential functions they provide, the U.S. established a policy of "no net loss" of wetlands, as well as procedures to ensure responsible management of wetland resources.

New engineering index will strengthen coastal management decisions

Carol Coleman, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Coastlines are ever-changing. Whether from nonstop wave action, wind or storms, these landscapes constantly shift and reshape, causing challenges for coastal managers. In response, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) researchers have created a tool to help assess the resiliency of our nation’s coastlines and improve coastal management strategies.

USACE team ensures Army’s and DOD’s data is protected

Megan Saxton, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Rapid technological advancement has ushered in a time of near-constant innovation for the Department of Defense (DOD), bringing both previously unimaginable progress and a marked increase in threats. Cybersecurity has emerged as a critical aspect of day-to-day DOD operations, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) is home to a Security Control Assessor-Validator (SCA-V) team that is playing an integral role in securing vulnerable infrastructure and sensitive data.

Stronger, Lighter, More Durable: Ultra-High Performance Concrete is key to a more sustainable and modern infrastructure network

Tim Reeves, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) works to modernize the nation’s infrastructure, it does so at a time when existing infrastructure components are operating well past their original lifespans. In the case of many of the locks supporting inland navigation, new techniques and technologies are critical to make sure lock facilities – some built in the 1930s – continue operating for another 100 years or more.

Structural Health Monitoring key to a more resilient, modern infrastructure network

Crystal Maynard — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Given the aging condition of much of the nation’s navigation infrastructure, managers need accurate and real-time information on the conditions of such structures as locks, dams and bridges operating well beyond their expected design lives.

Remote sensing gives USACE an edge at detecting harmful algal blooms

By Holly Kuzmitski, ERDC public affairs specialist — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

The rapid bloom of tiny freshwater microorganisms, called cyanobacteria, sometimes releases toxins that are harmful to aquatic life and can contaminate drinking water. These harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a significant threat to public health and safety, ecosystems, freshwater resources and recreation. They also cause about $82 million in economic losses to the seafood, restaurant and tourism industries each year.

CorpsCam supports proactive management of federal beach projects

By Carol C. Coleman, ERDC public affairs specialist — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -Each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) executes numerous federal beach projects designed to help protect the economy and the environment of our nation's coastal areas. However, little data is available for many of these projects because of high costs, restricted access and safety. This means districts must make decisions based on very limited information, resulting in inaccurate estimates and reactive management decisions. CorpsCam is a new USACE project that aims to fill this void by using automated, remote video technology to better monitor federal beach and other coastal projects. The cameras provide hourly images that can be processed into maps, which can then be refined into usable data.

Kit offers easier, less-expensive solution to sand boil threat

Tim Reeves, ERDC Corporate Communications Office — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

After years of development and laboratory testing, engineers are at the precipice of giving USACE Divisions and Districts a vital tool in protecting our nation’s critical levee systems and the lives and livelihoods those levees defend.

Advanced materials, methods driving new life in critical infrastructure

Tim Reeves, ERDC Corporate Communications Office — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Ten years ago, Dr. Guillermo Riveros was at home when his son came to him with a cut – a deep one – on his hand from trying to open a can. It was Sunday, and there was not an opportunity to go to the doctor for stitches.

Life’s basic building blocks used in search for threatened species

Tim Reeves, ERDC Corporate Communications Office — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMT

The Department of Defense maintains 30 million acres of critical military installations and training land. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees 12 million acres of public lands and water and oversees much of our nation’s vital infrastructure components.