• Improved Trafficability Over Soft Soils Using Ground Matting

    Abstract: Soft soils pose mobility challenges, even for vehicles designed with superior off-road capabilities. When numerous vehicles travel the same path, permanent deformation of the soil can result in rut depths that exceed vehicle ground clearance. These challenges can be overcome by modifying ground conditions to improve bearing capacity or spreading wheel loads over a greater area. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center conducted field tests to quantify the performance benefits of a ground matting system made of connected fiberglass panels designed to improve vehicle mobility on soft soils. Soil conditions included silt, sand, and highly organic soil with varying strength. Test vehicles included wheeled trucks with gross weights of approximately 6350 kg per axle. Performance of the matting system was assessed by the number of allowable vehicle crossings with and without matting present. Results from testing showed that allowable number of vehicles increased by at least a factor of ten on the weakest soils. Data presented herein includes geotechnical site characterization, soil deformation as a function of traffic, and material characteristics for the fiberglass matting system.
  • Army Corps Hosts Public Meeting to Discuss Tafuna Flood Risk Management Study

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Honolulu District, in partnership with the American Samoa
  • Montgomery Locks and Dam, Ohio River: Navigation Approach Physical Model

    Abstract: A physical model study of the Montgomery Locks and Dam was conducted to optimize the navigation conditions for the new riverside lock and guard wall design developed by the Pittsburgh District. A 1:100 Froude scale physical model was built to evaluate the navigation conditions for tows entering and exiting the locks in the upstream and downstream approaches. Conditions tested were Existing Conditions, Deconstruction Sequences, Construction Sequences, and Proposed Design. Data were also collected for impact analysis on the upstream and downstream riverside guard walls. The final design consisted of an upstream ported guard wall that is 1,000 ft in length and a downstream solid guard wall that is 800 ft in length. The implementation of submerged dikes in the upstream and downstream approaches improve navigation conditions significantly and are an essential part of the final design. Details are shown in Section 3.5 of this report.
  • MKARNS Nav Notice No. SWL 25-08 Lock 4 Tow Haulage Return to Service

    The tow haulage equipment at Emmett Sanders (No. 4) NM 66.0 has been repaired and returned to service.
  • “One Grand, Glorious National Cause”: A Cultural Geography of the Veterans Affairs Built Environment

    Abstract: The United States government has a long history of providing medical, financial, and burial benefits to American Veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its predecessor agencies constructed much of the built environment that served as a conduit for these benefits. Today, the VA manages and maintains more than 15,000 buildings and structures to serve the Veteran community. To facilitate the transfer of property rights of its vacant and underutilized properties and ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation issued a Program Comment at the request of the VA on 26 October 2018. The Program Comment mitigation requires the VA to produce a readily accessible public-benefit document of interest to a wide audience composed of Veterans and lay people. This book provides that public-benefit document through a cultural geography of the built environment of VA facilities. This book focuses on the sense of place developed by Veterans toward VA facilities and covers three generational periods as defined by the VA: post–Civil War through World War I, World War I through the end of World War II, and post–World War II through 1958.
  • Cochiti Lake temporarily closed due to unsafe ice conditions

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Cochiti Lake announced Jan. 27, 2025, that the lake is temporarily closed until further notice due to unsafe ice conditions.
  • Iconic Army Corps Regulator Retires After 45 Years of Service

    Bart De Martino, a Regulatory Project Manager in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New York District Operations Division, Regulatory Branch, Metro NY/NJ Section, has retired after 45 years of service to the District.
  • 2 For 1: Dredging, Sand Placement is Double Benefit for Long Island’s South Shore, Barrier Beaches

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has commenced essential maintenance dredging for the Fire Island Inlet and Shores Westerly to Jones Inlet New York Beach Erosion Control and Navigation Project. This critical work, awarded to Norfolk Dredging Company for nearly $37 million, began in November and is expected to continue until early spring 2025.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers celebrates 2024 achievements in Nashville District

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District achieved significant milestones in 2024, with highlights including progress on the Kentucky Lock Addition and Chickamauga Lock Replacement projects, which advanced through key construction phases. The district's flood risk reduction efforts during Hurricanes Francine and Helene saved an estimated $186 million in damages, while hydropower facilities supplied 2.8 million megawatt-hours of clean energy to the region. Additionally, the district issued over 1,100 regulatory permits, hosted international collaborations with the Mekong River Commission and Rijkswaterstaat, and welcomed 23.2 million visitors to its lakes, showcasing its wide-ranging contributions to safety, sustainability, and regional development.
  • Assistant district counsel recognized for regulatory law achievements

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 23, 2025) – The primary regulatory attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is the employee of the month for November 2024 for her achievements in support of several noteworthy regulatory law cases.