WEBVTT 00:16.120 --> 00:18.176 Greetings and welcome to the January 00:18.176 --> 00:21.010 2025 edition of Core Connection . This 00:21.010 --> 00:23.139 year marks the 250th anniversary of 00:23.139 --> 00:25.250 your US Army Corps of Engineers , and 00:25.250 --> 00:27.361 all year long USA will be celebrating 00:27.361 --> 00:29.583 the occasion through various events and 00:29.583 --> 00:31.750 programs . We will keep you up to date 00:31.750 --> 00:34.028 with those items here when they happen . 00:34.028 --> 00:36.250 In the meantime , we shift our focus to 00:36.250 --> 00:38.361 the work the Engineering Research and 00:38.361 --> 00:38.009 Development Center is doing in 00:38.009 --> 00:40.342 partnership with the Port of Long Beach , 00:40.342 --> 00:42.676 California and the Los Angeles district . 00:42.676 --> 00:44.842 Erdic utilized their ship simulator to 00:44.842 --> 00:46.676 help with testing various design 00:46.676 --> 00:48.842 alternatives for the port's navigation 00:48.842 --> 00:50.787 channels , which UAE is working to 00:50.787 --> 00:52.731 deepen so the facility can support 00:52.731 --> 00:54.898 larger , deeper draft vessels safely . 00:54.898 --> 00:56.898 One of the unique things about this 00:56.898 --> 00:59.119 simulation study was a . Evaluating 00:59.569 --> 01:02.799 wave dynamics that occur outside of the 01:02.799 --> 01:05.760 breakwaters at Port of Long Beach . And 01:05.760 --> 01:07.760 so that's the advantage of the ship 01:07.760 --> 01:09.538 simulator is that we're able to 01:09.538 --> 01:12.500 optimize channel design and identify 01:12.500 --> 01:15.589 potential navigation issues before the 01:15.589 --> 01:17.756 proposed design is implemented in real 01:17.756 --> 01:19.867 life . Construction on the project is 01:19.867 --> 01:21.919 expected to begin in 2027 and take 01:21.919 --> 01:24.389 roughly 3 years to complete . Over in 01:24.389 --> 01:26.500 our Pittsburgh district , efforts are 01:26.500 --> 01:28.333 underway to begin work on a mega 01:28.333 --> 01:30.500 project to build a new lock chamber at 01:30.500 --> 01:32.389 the Montgomery Lock and Dam . The 01:32.389 --> 01:34.389 district recently completed a batch 01:34.389 --> 01:34.269 plant pad which will provide an area 01:34.269 --> 01:36.436 for crews to produce more than 400,000 01:36.436 --> 01:38.769 cubic yards of concrete for the project . 01:38.949 --> 01:41.309 The concrete we'll need to get over to 01:41.309 --> 01:43.420 our future construction site . Like I 01:43.420 --> 01:45.365 said , that's to build a new river 01:45.365 --> 01:47.309 chamber . So here in front of us , 01:47.309 --> 01:49.309 we've got our two active chambers , 01:49.309 --> 01:51.253 land chamber closest to us , river 01:51.253 --> 01:53.476 chamber further away . River chamber is 01:53.476 --> 01:55.420 the one that is getting replaced . 01:55.420 --> 01:57.587 Demolition for portions of the project 01:57.587 --> 01:59.476 to make room for the larger block 01:59.476 --> 02:01.698 chamber is expected to start later this 02:01.698 --> 02:03.865 year . That puts a bow on this edition 02:03.865 --> 02:05.809 of Core Connection . We'll be back 02:05.809 --> 02:07.976 again next month to highlight a couple 02:07.976 --> 02:07.809 of the projects and programs your US 02:07.809 --> 02:10.031 Army Corps of Engineers is working on . 02:10.031 --> 02:12.031 Until then , I'm Patrick Bluggo and 02:12.031 --> 02:13.899 this has been Core Connection .