6 Nov 2020

Army Corps of Engineers holding public hearing for Enbridge Line 5 tunnel permit request

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold an online public hearing 1-4 p.m., December 7, 2020, to gather public comments on a permit request for a proposed Enbridge Line 5 pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. The online hearing and written comment period provide a second opportunity for the public to provide information for consideration in evaluating Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership’s permit application to construct a pipeline tunnel under the bed of Lake Michigan. Written comments are being accepted through December 17, 2020. The Corps’ initial public notice was issued May 15, 2020, and that comment period ended July 14, 2020. A tunnel constructed under the Straits of Mackinac requires a Corps permit, and the Corps is reviewing the application under the authority of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

6 Nov 2020

USACE Buffalo District to host ribbon cutting for Athol Springs’ revetment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District will host a ceremonial ribbon cutting event and media site tour, 1:00 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9 at the Athol Springs project site, adjacent the Hoak’s Restaurant located at 4100 Lake Shore Rd, Hamburg, NY 14075.    The ceremony celebrates completion of the $8.2 million, 1,325-foot armor stone revetment of the Lake Erie seawall that will protect Route 5 from Lake Erie wave action and spray.

5 Nov 2020

Discover ERDC Knowledge Management Representative (KMR) User’s Guide

Abstract: Knowledge management plays a vital role in the successful execution on research projects at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Accumulating and building upon knowledge is the cornerstone of the research and development process. Maintaining and providing access to knowledge is essential to the successful execution of research programs. An initiative to improve access to knowledge and the tools available to researchers was started by the Office of Research and Technology Transfer (ORRT). The result of that initiative is a knowledge portal called Discover ERDC. This document provides a detailed look on maintaining content on the Discover ERDC site from a Knowledge Management Representative viewpoint, and how help can be provided to those assigned to manage the content.

5 Nov 2020

Fort McCoy, Wisconsin Building 550 Maintenance Plan

Abstract: Building 550 (former World War II fire station) is located on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and was recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2018 (Smith and Adams 2018). The building is currently vacant. It is an intact example of an 800 Series World War II fire station with character-defining features of its period of significance from 1939 to 1946 on its exterior and interior. All buildings, especially historic ones, require regular planned maintenance and repair. The most notable cause of historic building element failure and/or decay is not the fact that the historic building is old, but rather it is caused by incorrect or inappropriate repair and/or basic neglect of the historic building fabric. This document is a maintenance manual compiled with as-is conditions of construction materials of Building 550. The Secretary of Interior Guidelines on rehabilitation and repair per material are discussed to provide the cultural resources manager at Fort McCoy a guide to maintain this historic building. This report satisfies Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended and will help the Fort McCoy Cultural Resources Management office to manage this historic building.

5 Nov 2020

Evaluating the Conductive Properties of Melanin-Producing Fungus, Curvularia lunata, after Copper Doping

ABSTRACT:  Melanins are pigmented biomacromolecules found throughout all do-mains of life. Of melanins’ many unique properties, their malleable electrically conductive properties and their ability to chelate could allow them to serve as material for bioelectronics. Studies have shown that sheets or pellets of melanin conduct low levels of electricity; however, electrical conductance of melanin within a cellular context has not been thoroughly investigated. In addition, given the chelating properties of melanin, it is possible that introducing traditionally conductive metal ions could improve the conductivity. Therefore, this study investigated the conductive properties of melanized cells and how metal ions change these. We measured the conductivity of pulverized Curvularia lunata, a melanized filamentous fungi, with and without the addition of copper ions. We then compared the conductivity measurements of the fungus to chemically synthesized, commercially bought melanin. Our data showed that the conductivity of the melanized fungal biomass was an order of magnitude higher when grown in the presence of copper. However, it was two orders of magnitude less than that of synthetic melanin. Interestingly, conductance was measurable despite additional constituents in the pellet that may inhibit conductivity. Therefore, these data show promising results for using melanized cells to carry electrical signals.

5 Nov 2020

A Measurement System for the Study of Nonlinear Propagation Through Arrays of Scatterers

Abstract: Various experimental challenges exist in measuring the spatial and temporal field of a nonlinear acoustic pulse propagating through an array of scatterers. Probe interference and undesirable high-frequency response plague typical approaches with acoustic microphones, which are also limited to resolving the pressure field at a single position. Measurements made with optical methods do not have such drawbacks, and schlieren measurements are particularly well suited to measuring both the spatial and temporal evolution of nonlinear pulse propagation in an array of scatterers. Herein, a measurement system is described based on a z-type schlieren setup, which is suitable for measuring axisymmetric phenomena and visualizing weak shock propagation. In order to reduce directivity and initiate nearly spherically-symmetric propagation, laser induced breakdown serves as the source for the nonlinear pulse. A key component of the schlieren system is a standard schliere, which allows quantitative schlieren measurements to be performed. Sizing of the standard schliere is aided by generating estimates of the expected light refraction from the nonlinear pulse, by way of the forward Abel transform. Finally, considerations for experimental sequencing, image capture, and a reconfigurable rod array designed to minimize spurious wave interactions are specified.

5 Nov 2020

Army Installations of the Future Industry Day 2019: Summary Report

Abstract: The Army Installations of the Future Industry Day was held on 23 May 2019 at the Renaissance Capital View hotel in Arlington, VA to identify the availability and maturity of specific commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) “smart installation” capabilities, technologies, and products; and to seek interest from industry in exploring potential approaches, requirements, standards, and/or specifications for pilot demonstrations at Army installations focused on 10 use-case technology areas. The Industry Day event included approximately 336 participants comprised of Academia (5), Industry (226), and Government (105). This report presents “road maps” that outline the Army’s desired outcomes for the target technology areas and potential pilot technology demonstrations.

5 Nov 2020

Numerical Analysis of Weak Acoustic Shocks in Aperiodic Array of Rigid Scatterers

Abstract: Nonlinear propagation of shock waves through periodic structures have the potential to exhibit interesting phenomena. Frequency content of the shock that lies within a bandgap of the periodic structure is strongly attenuated, but nonlinear frequency-frequency interactions pumps energy back into those bands. To investigate the relative importance of these propagation phenomena, numerical experiments using the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation are carried out. Two-dimensional propagation through a periodic array of rectangular waveguides is performed by iteratively using the output of one waveguide as the input for the next waveguide. Comparison of the evolution of the initial shock wave for both the linear and nonlinear cases is presented.

5 Nov 2020

USACE Vicksburg District to use new payment system for fee collection at Lake Ouachita campground

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will use a new electronic payment system for fee collection at Twin Creek Campground beginning Dec. 1.

5 Nov 2020

Hunter Ethics

CARLYLE LAKE - With the fall hunting season underway, hunters are reminded of their obligation to practice ethical and safe hunting while in the field. Remember, your personal ethics might not match your neighbors, but certain guidelines do pertain to all hunters.