• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites public comment on shoreline protection plan at Agat Mayor Compound

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District, in partnership with the Guam Bureau of
  • Army Corps of Engineers hosts public info sessions focused on Lookout Point and Green Peter reservoir drawdowns

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) invites the public to three online information sessions to learn about Willamette Valley dams and reservoirs operating under court-ordered interim injunction measures.
  • Wilson Lock main chamber closed until further notice

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and the Tennessee Valley Authority have closed the main lock chamber at Wilson Lock on the Tennessee River near Florence, Alabama to conduct additional inspections and possible repairs on the lock chamber. The lock chamber will be closed until further notice.
  • A Geospatial Model for Identifying Stream Infrastructure Locations

    Abstract: Management of hydraulic infrastructure for flood control, hydropower, navigation, and water supply is a critical component of the Army Dams and Transportation Infrastructure Program (ADTIP). This project provides a tool to locate stream infrastructure using a one-dimensional approach supplemented with geospatial filtering that only needs digital elevation model (DEM) files as primary input. The regions in and around Forts Liberty, Sill, and Cavazos were selected as study areas, and stream networks with corresponding stream elevation profiles were created and searched for elevation changes that met vertical threshold and search window criteria. Recall, Fβ, and a ratio of under to overprediction were used to evaluate performance. The search algorithm generally overpredicts the number of stream infrastructure locations and especially so for large search windows (20 or 25 cells) and small vertical threshold values (5 or 10 m). Overall, it was found that midrange vertical threshold values (2 or 2.5 m with long search windows (20 or 25 cells) with the land cover classification (LCC) check applied yielded results that minimized false negatives and overpredictions. The significance of this tool is that it may reduce costly field investigations, or at least aid in the prioritization of site visits for hydraulic infrastructure managers.
  • High-Rate Characterization and Modeling of a Hyperelastic Block Copolymer Subjected to Ballistic Impact

    Abstract: A polystyrene-polyisobutylene-polystyrene star-block copolymer (PS-PIB-PS) is a thermoplastic elastomer with visco hyperelastic characteristics that displays a high level of toughness and performs well in shock attenuating applications. The research goal is to investigate experimentally and numerically the capacity of PS-PIB-PS to dissipate kinetic energy and examine its deformation and failure modes under impact by spherical steel projectiles at speed ranges of 200–1,700 m/s. First, PS-PIB-PS is characterized using a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar to measure high strain rate response and calibrate a hyperelastic material model. Second, ballistics tests are conducted on 12 in. × 12 in. PS-PIB-PS targets with various thicknesses to determine the ballistic limit and residual velocity (Vr) versus impact velocity (Vi) relationship. Finally, ALE3D is used to model the ballistic response and capture the extreme deformation observed during testing. During ballistic impact tests, significant deformation occurred on the backside of polymer targets, followed by perforation of the polymer, culminating with retraction and recovery of the polymer in a self-healing manner. Numerical simulations captured the deformation behavior during impact and predicted the Vr versus Vi response with high accuracy. This research provides a method of modeling hyperelastic materials subjected to ballistic impact and provides a better understanding of energy dissipation of these materials.
  • Corps of Engineers Monitors Impact of Hurricane Helene on Cumberland River Basin

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is monitoring expected heavy rainfall as the the remnants of Hurricane Helene are forecasted to move through the Cumberland River Basin beginning Friday, 27 Sept. and lasting through the weekend.
  • USACE to host open house for Beltzville Lake Master Plan revision

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will host an open house on October 10, 2024, to kick off a process to revise the 1971 Beltzville Lake Master Plan. The open house will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the Towamensing Township Volunteer Fire Company, 105 Firehouse Road, Palmerton, PA 18071.
  • New Lock at the Soo Phase 2 complete

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District’s New Lock at the Soo project in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, substantially completed Phase 2 (Upstream Approach Walls) contract on September 17. “Phase 2 work focused on rehabilitating the upstream approach walls to guide vessels into the New Lock and will allow the vessels to moor on the wall,” New Lock at the Soo Project Engineer Ryan Berkompas said. “The old approach walls in the northern channel were the same age as the Sabin and Davis Locks, over 100 years old.” The Corps of Engineers awarded the $117 million contract in September 2020 to Kokosing-Alberici, of Westerville, Ohio.
  • Fort Randall trail dedication honors beloved employee

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Fort Randall Project held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sept. 20, 2024, in Pickstown, South Dakota for a newly constructed trail system. The trail system, named the Lisa M. Durham Memorial Trail, honors Lisa Durham, a longtime Fort Randall employee who passed away in 2022 following her battle with cancer.
  • After a 2020 inspection, Tuttle Creek Dam dewaters outlet channel to undergo massive repairs that reduces risk of spillway erosion and downstream flooding

    Tucked alongside the native tallgrasses of the Konza Prairie within the undulating Flint Hills of Riley and Pottawattamie counties in northeast Kansas, is the Tuttle Creek Dam and Lake. This engineering marvel of the midwestern United States, is a 7,500-foot-long earth and rockfill dam that chokes off the Big Blue River, creating the second largest reservoir in Kansas with a total capacity of over 2.1 million acre-feet of water.