• Record Package Guidance: Best Practices

    Abstract: The CAD/BIM Technology Center receives numerous questions throughout the year regarding the development of a Record Package that shows as-built conditions. While the Center does produce Standards on the look and organization of CAD drawings that are used to show as-built conditions, users wanted guidance on the Record Package development. The Chicago District had undertaken the development of such guidance, but a formal document was never officially released. The CAD/BIM Community of Practice (CoP) Work Structure Committee finished this guidance and their efforts are reflected in this document.
  • FED nears completion of Fuel Project OS031

    USAG HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Far East District (FED) continues construction on OS031 Fuel Oil Facility, the second phase of a three-part construction project, located on USAG Humphreys.
  • Special permit archery hunt scheduled for Clinton Lake

    The Kansas City District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Clinton Lake announces the opening of the application process for its annual Special Archery Hunt at Bloomington, Rockhaven, and Woodridge Parks to be held November 1 - December 31, 2021.
  • Otter Brook Lake Beach, Surry Mountain Lake Beach parks to remain closed for rest of season due to flooding

     The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District announced today that the parks at Otter
  • USACE Vicksburg District announces annual Physically Challenged Deer Hunt at Arkabutla Lake

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announces that Arkabutla Lake will hold its annual Physically Challenged Deer Hunt this December. There will be two hunts, each lasting three days, on December 3 to 5 and December 10 to 12. Applications are available at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office. The deadline for receiving applications is November 5 at 3 p.m. Applicants will be notified on the second week of November if they have been selected for either hunt.
  • US Air Force Academy preps for construction of state-of-art Madera Cyber Center

    A multimillion-dollar construction project to build a cyber center at the Air Force Academy begins later this summer and will last through 2023. Lieutenant Gen. Richard Clark, the Academy’s superintendent, hosted a ground-breaking ceremony for the Madera Cyber Innovation Center Aug. 6 featuring the center’s namesake, Paul Madera.
  • CANCELED: Corps of Engineers to offer two opportunities to tour largest diesel towboat in the U.S.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, is hosting two public open house events this week aboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi. The first will be held Tuesday, Aug. 10 from 1-5 p.m. at River Heritage Park in Davenport, Iowa. The second will be held Wednesday, Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. along the Mississippi Riverwalk at the Port of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa, next the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.
  • Metal Accumulation Capacity in Indigenous Alaska Vegetation Growing on Military Training Lands

    Abstract: Permafrost thawing could increase soil contaminant mobilization in the environment. Our objective was to quantify metal accumulation capacities for plant species and functional groups common to Alaskan military training ranges where elevated soil metal concentrations were likely to occur. Plant species across multiple military training range sites were collected. Metal content in shoots and roots was compared to soil metal concentrations to calculate bioconcentration and translocation factors. On average, grasses accumulated greater concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn relative to forbs or shrubs, and bioconcentrated greater concentrations of Ni and Pb. Shrubs bioconcentrated greater concentrations of Sb. Translocation to shoots was greatest among the forbs. Three native plants were identified as candidate species for use in metal phytostabilization applications. Elymus macrourus, a grass, bioconcentrated substantial concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in roots with low translocation to shoots. Elaeagnus commutata, a shrub, bioconcentrated the greatest amounts of Sb, Ni, and Cr, with a low translocation factor. Solidago decumbens bio-concentrated the greatest amount of Sb among the forbs and translocated the least amount of metals. A combination of forb, shrub, and grass will likely enhance phytostabilization of heavy metals in interior Alaska soils through increased functional group diversity.
  • Simultaneous Mapping of Coastal Topography and Bathymetry from a Lightweight Multicamera UAS

    Abstract: A low-cost multicamera Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is used to simultaneously estimate open-coast topography and bathymetry from a single longitudinal coastal flight. The UAS combines nadir and oblique imagery to create a wide field of view (FOV), which enables collection of mobile, long d Coastal mapping, multiview stereo (MVS), nearshore morphology, remote sensing, structure from motion (SfM), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)well timeseries of the littoral zone suitable for structure-from motion (SfM), and wave speed inversion algorithms. Resultant digital surface models (DSMs) compare well with terrestrial topographic lidar and bathymetric survey data at Duck, NC, USA, with root-mean-square error (RMSE)/bias of 0.26/–0.05 and 0.34/–0.05 m, respectively. Bathymetric data from another flight at Virginia Beach, VA, USA, demonstrates successful comparison (RMSE/bias of 0.17/0.06 m) in a secondary environment. UAS-derived engineering data products, total volume profiles and shoreline position, were congruent with those calculated from traditional topo-bathymetric surveys at Duck. Capturing both topography and bathymetry within a single flight, the presented multicamera system is more efficient than data acquisition with a single camera UAS; this advantage grows for longer stretches of coastline (10 km). Efficiency increases further with an on-board Global Navigation Satellite System–Inertial Navigation System (GNSS-INS) to eliminate ground control point (GCP) placement. The Appendix reprocesses the Virginia Beach flight with the GNSS–INS input and no GCPs.
  • USACE celebrates National Park and Recreation Month

    July was National Park and Recreation Month – a month designed to tell the parks and recreation