ERDC Researchers named FLC Technology Transfer Winners

Published March 8, 2011

March 8, 2011

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Vicksburg, Miss. — ERDC researchers were recently named winners of the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) 2011 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. Dr. Mo Shahin, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), was recognized for PAVER™ versions 6.5 and 7.0, PAVER Field Inspector™, and PAVER Image Inspector™: Expanded User Base. Dr. Steve Larson, Andy Martin and Dr. Victor Medina, all of Environmental Laboratory (EL), and Dr. Kent Newman, Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), were recognized for "Biopolymer Alternatives to Petroleum-based Polymers for Soil Modification."

ERDC was the only Army laboratory to be recognized in the category this year.

PAVER™, PAVER Field Inspector™, and PAVER Image Inspector™: Expanded User Base

The Army has oversight of more than 557 million square yards of pavement, making successful management a necessity. PAVER™ was developed in the 1970s by CERL to help the Department of Defense (DOD) with that management. The computer program, which enables users to reliably predict and prioritize maintenance and rehabilitation needs and pavement conditions, recently underwent revitalization efforts headed up by Shahin.

"New state-of-the-art technologies have been developed and integrated into fully updated versions of PAVER™" said Shahin. "In addition, we’ve developed companion programs to facilitate pavement condition data acquisition and rating. We’ve also integrated PAVER™ and PCASE (Pavement-Transportation Computer Assisted Civil Engineering) to produce a full life-cycle analysis tool for the user."

The companion programs are Field Inspector and Image Inspector. Field Inspector, a tablet-based software application for collecting pavement distress data and calculating real-time Pavement Condition Index (PCI™), features innovative graphics capabilities that make it possible to record distresses on pavement drawings. Image Inspector uses pavement image data collected by image-gathering vehicles traveling at highway speeds, and assigns them to the appropriate pavement section using geographic information systems and Global Position System (GPS) technology, dramatically reducing time spent on field collection.

Both allow users to transfer data to PAVER™ and all programs comply with revised ASTM standards and the Secretary of Defense's linear segmentation initiative for infrastructure management.

"Benefits include expanded data collection capabilities, networking capabilities, Web accessibility, powerful modeling tools, rating systems improvements, new support for accurate pavement asset inventories and DOD Real Property Inventory Requirements, and integration with PCASE," said Shahin. "These PAVER™ improvements and integration with PCASE have produced a pavement management system that encompasses evaluation, optimization and design."

Shahin earned a bachelor's in civil engineering from Egypt's Ain-Shams University, a diploma of higher studies in soils engineering from Egypt's Cairo University, a master's in civil engineering from The Ohio State University and a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Texas, Austin. He is a program manager with the Engineering Processes Branch at CERL.

Biopolymer Alternatives to Petroleum-based Polymers for Soil Modification

Made by a bacterium and secreted naturally into the soil, biopolymers have a variety of uses, but this technology significantly increases the substance's quality and number of applications. Larson, Martin, Medina and Newman discovered a way to enhance its natural properties by separating the biopolymer from the bacteria after it has been made in a more commercial useful and feasible way, and using it to replace synthetic polymers manufactured using oil.

"The idea was to use bacteria to more efficiently strengthen soil in-place as the bacteria would naturally grow on soil surfaces and in the soil pore space, building a strong biofilm of polymer between soil particles," said Newman. "We screened approximately 40 different bacteria before settling on the Rhizobium tropici bacterium."

Rhizobium tropici uses plant sugars to produce the all-natural, non-toxic polymeric substance which counts surface adhesion, self-adhesion of cells into biofilms, formation of protective barriers, water retention and nutrient accumulation around roots as natural functions. The biopolymer salt can be transported as a low-density, dry solid and can be applied two ways: by mixing the dried material with water, forming a gel, which is then added to soil, or by mixing the dried material with the soil, then applying water.

"This material has the potential to replace a number of petroleum-based polymers," said Newman. "Due to the chemical nature of the biopolymer, it lends itself to modification so it can be tailored for a number of different applications."

Depending on what the initial bacteria are fed, for example molasses or corn syrup, different polymers with a variety of abilities can be produced. The modifications have the potential to be used for a number of Civilian and military applications, including dust control, erosion control, heavy metal control, promoting plant growth in acidic soil and even force protection. Additionally, the product addresses a recently issued Army directive that all branches of the military look for ways to reduce the use of oil-based products. The team currently holds one patent for the substance, with several more in the works.

"We’re scaling up fast enough that commercial application is doable, and there have been significant cost savings, with prices dropping from $1,000 per gram to $10 per kilogram," said Larson of the project, which went from conception to commercialization in a nearly unprecedented five years. "It is great to make a fundamental discovery and see it turn into something that benefits DOD and the industry as a whole."

Larson earned a bachelor's in chemistry from Davidson College and a doctorate in inorganic and physical chemistry from Colorado State University. He is a research chemist and is team lead for the Inorganics Remediation Team. Newman earned a bachelor's in chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), a master's in the same from the University of New Mexico and a doctorate in polymer science from USM. He is a research physical scientist in the Airfields and Pavements Branch.

Martin, chief of the Environmental Engineering Branch, earned a bachelor's in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a master's in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois, and is a long-term training graduate student at Purdue.

Medina, an environmental engineer and team lead for the Environmental Security and Engineering Team, earned a bachelor's in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and both a master's and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Southern California.