• Corps of Engineers and Kaskaskia Regional Port District sign agreement for next phase of Kaskaskia River Harbor Study

    The Kaskaskia Regional Port District hosted a signing ceremony today signaling the initiation of the feasibility study in partnership with the St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. St. Louis District Commander Col. Kevin Golinghorst, and the Kaskaskia Regional Port District Board Chairman George Obernagel, each signed the Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement to enable both federal and non-federal funds to be used for the study, which is aimed at improving navigational efficiency at Terminal #2 near Baldwin, Ill.
  • Virtual workshop attendees still see benefits, receive resource efficiency manager-community support

    Attendees included U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program staff, garrison energy managers and REMs and contractor management.
  • Vertical and slanted sound propagation in the near-ground atmosphere: amplitude and phase fluctuations

    ABSTRACT: Sound propagation along vertical and slanted paths through the near-ground atmosphere impacts detection and localization of low-altitude sound sources, such as small unmanned aerial vehicles, from ground-based microphone arrays. This article experimentally investigates the amplitude and phase fluctuations of acoustic signals propagating along such paths. The experiment involved nine microphones on three horizontal booms mounted at different heights to a 135-m meteorological tower at the National Wind Technology Center (Boulder, CO). A ground-based loudspeaker was placed at the base of the tower for vertical propagation or 56 m from the base of the tower for slanted propagation. Phasor scatterplots qualitatively characterize the amplitude and phase fluctuations of the received signals during different meteorological regimes. The measurements are also compared to a theory describing the log-amplitude and phase variances based on the spectrum of shear and buoyancy driven turbulence near the ground. Generally, the theory correctly predicts the measured log-amplitude variances, which are affected primarily by small-scale, isotropic turbulent eddies. However, the theory overpredicts the measured phase variances, which are affected primarily by large-scale, anisotropic, buoyantly driven eddies. Ground blocking of these large eddies likely explains the overprediction.
  • Performance of Active Porcelain Enamel Coated Fibers for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete: The Performance of Active Porcelain Enamel Coatings for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete and Fiber Tests at the University of Louisville

    Abstract: A patented active porcelain enamel coating improves both the bond between the concrete and steel reinforcement as well as its corrosion resistance. A Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop a commercial method for production of porcelain-coated fibers was developed in 2015. Market potential of this technology with its steel/concrete bond improvements and corrosion protection suggests that it can compete with other fiber reinforcing systems, with improvements in performance, durability, and cost, especially as compared to smooth fibers incorporated into concrete slabs and beams. Preliminary testing in a Phase 1 SBIR investigation indicated that active ceramic coatings on small diameter wire significantly improved the bond between the wires and the concrete to the point that the wires achieved yield before pullout without affecting the strength of the wire. As part of an SBIR Phase 2 effort, the University of Louisville under contract for Ceramics, Composites and Coatings Inc., proposed an investigation to evaluate active enamel-coated steel fibers in typical concrete applications and in masonry grouts in both tension and compression. Evaluation of the effect of the incorporation of coated fibers into Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) was examined using flexural and compressive strength testing as well as through nanoindentation.
  • USACE awards $10.8 million contract to complete Hamilton City levee improvements

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $10.8 million construction contract to James Fisher Jr. Excavating of Willows on May 14 to complete levee improvements in Hamilton City.
  • Corps of Engineers and Guttenberg Heritage Society to host ribbon cutting at lockmaster house

    The Guttenberg Heritage Society and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will celebrate the reopening of the historic lockmaster house at Lock and Dam 10 in Guttenberg, Iowa, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 6 at 3 p.m.
  • New Report Details Recommendations to Strengthen USACE Collaboration with Tribal Nations on Water Resources Management

    ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources (IWR)
  • Barkley Powerplant transforms its switchyard

    KUTTAWA, Ky. (May 20, 2021) – The Barkley Powerplant is transforming its switchyard with the delivery of two 90-ton transformers Wednesday via a barge on the Cumberland River.
  • Gimme shelter: Army Corps gets Air Force Reserve out of the cold

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District is renovating two aircraft hangars so Airman at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station can work inside and out of the cold and fulfill their mission to the Nation.
  • Memphis District employee returns home from Afghanistan

    The Memphis District recently welcomed back Electrical and General Engineer Aaron Ray from his deployment to Afghanistan. Ray deployed as an Area Support Group - Afghanistan (ASG-A) electrical engineer responsible for reviewing and approving all support requests for Task Force Power throughout Afghanistan.