Engineer Research and Development Center News

Simulation now a fixture to optimize USACE navigation projects

By Tim Reeves, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:09:17 GMT

For years, the U.S. Army Watercraft and Ship Simulator — located at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi — has served as an important resource for district engineers. Whether planning new inland waterways, designing deep-draft coastal channels, or enhancing existing structures, districts could leverage the simulator and its team.

ERDC-EL researchers join USACE New Orleans District-led Maurepas Swamp Project

Justus Reed, Public Affairs Specialist — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:27:52 GMT

A team of experts from ERDC-EL are supporting the New Orleans District in their River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp Project, an initiative that will divert freshwater from the Mississippi River back into the swamp through a 5.5-mile controlled-flow diversion and extend the swamp’s lifespan and habitat, providing benefit to approximately 45,000 acres within the swamp. The project aims to improve the cypress-tupelo swamp’s health by adding vital nutrients and flushing stagnant, low-oxygen water.

ERDC researchers use mobile trailers to expand critical messaging along inland waterways

Carol C. Coleman, public affairs specialist — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:54:55 GMT

Low water, shoaling or missing buoys can cause hazardous conditions along our nation’s waterways, putting ships and crews at risk. Even the smallest disruptions in navigation can have catastrophic consequences for supply chains and the movement of essential goods across the country, impacting the economy. To help mitigate these hazards and strengthen gaps in broadcast coverage, researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are using deployable mobile trailers to ensure that critical messages can be transmitted to vessel traffic.

Pettway named American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow

Justus Reed, Public Affairs Specialist — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:09:08 GMT

Dr. Jacqueline Pettway, deputy director of the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), has been elected a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

ERDC researchers granted patent for novel underwater UXO blast shield invention

Justus Reed, Public Affairs Specialist — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:01:48 GMT

Military weapons, ammunition, equipment, and materials, collectively known as munitions of war, lie at the bottom of rivers, lakes, and oceans across the country. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works to safely locate and remove the munitions, preventing aquatic and human environmental hazards. Two U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) engineers recently developed a patented technology that could significantly improve how those underwater munitions are detected and recovered.

CRREL working to keep ‘people out of harm’s way’ by using drones to find and identify unexploded ordnance

Justin Campfield, public affairs specialist — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:07:00 GMT

A team of researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and Dartmouth College is pioneering a new way to keep humans out of harm’s way by using drones to find and identify unexploded ordnance.

From Apollo to Artemis: ERDC’s enduring role in space exploration

Kaley Webb, public affairs specialist — Fri, 29 May 2026 21:27:03 GMT

It has been more than 50 years since Neil Armstrong famously declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he became the first man to step onto the surface of the Moon. Since then, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has helped enable the next generation of space exploration.

ERDC, LEMA Power the Fight During FLEX 2026

Sarah Clark, public affairs specialist — Tue, 19 May 2026 17:00:47 GMT

As unmanned surface vessels carved through the waters off Key West, Florida, and autonomous aerial systems scanned the horizon for illicit trafficking targets, a quieter but equally critical mission was unfolding behind the scenes at U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet’s Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) 2026 exercise. Inside a network of command trailers operating advanced unmanned systems, researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) and industry partner LEMA were proving that the future of expeditionary operations depends not only on autonomous platforms and artificial intelligence, but also on resilient, unmanned energy systems capable of providing uninterrupted power in austere environments.

ERDC, Cache Energy advance long-duration energy storage for Army installations

Sarah Clark, public affairs specialist — Tue, 12 May 2026 19:09:30 GMT

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) are advancing a next-generation energy storage capability designed to strengthen installation resilience during extended power disruptions.

ERDC study reveals pathway to breakdown “forever chemicals”

Justus Reed, Public Affairs Specialist — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:41:41 GMT

A study on breaking down PFAS molecules conducted by two researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) was recently published in a leading, peer-reviewed scientific journal.

ERDC Advances Transformational Arctic Sustainment Technology for Warfighters

Sarah Clark, public affairs specialist — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:09:55 GMT

As the U.S. Army increases its operational focus in the Arctic, researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) are delivering a proven solution for one of the region’s toughest challenges — sustaining Soldiers in extreme cold weather.

RD26 showcases ERDC innovation, collaboration

Annette Kirklin, public affairs specialist — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:42:01 GMT

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently hosted RD26, the fifth installment of its biennial research and development workshop, bringing together a record number of participants from across the enterprise.

ERDC scientists transform scientific measurement with “illuminating” discovery

Justin Campfield, public affairs specialist — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:01:00 GMT

Fluorescence is a fundamental component of scientific analysis, serving as a core measurement tool in applications ranging from environmental monitoring and field analytics to materials testing and biological and chemical detection. The Army uses fluorescence in countless ways, including detecting toxic chemicals, identifying pathogens and even tracking how materials like cement degrade in the field, just to name a few. Combining subject-matter expertise from ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory in Vicksburg, Miss., and Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H., the team developed a novel approach – and potentially transformed innumerable scientific experiments – by building photoprotection directly into a new molecular design in a way that dramatically increases the durability of fluorescence.

Sullivan honored at ERDC retirement ceremony

Annette Kirklin, public affairs specialist — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:44:22 GMT

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently celebrated the distinguished career of Patricia M. Sullivan, Senior Executive Service (SES), who retired after more than 41 years of dedicated service.

Dr. Sally Shoop awarded American Society of Civil Engineers Can-Am Amity Award

Justin Campfield, public affairs specialist — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:07:10 GMT

Dr. Sally Shoop, research engineer with ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, has been awarded the 2026 Can-Am Civil Engineering Amity Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Testing continues on lock improvements along upper Ohio River

Carol C. Coleman, public affairs specialist — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:15:26 GMT

As navigation improvements continue along the upper Ohio River, a team of researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are developing physical models to test new designs of the lock systems to ensure they function as intended.

Autonomous barge kits improve logistical capabilities for joint forces

Carol C. Coleman, public affairs specialist — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:09:46 GMT

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has partnered with the U.S. Transportation Command to develop Scalable Autonomous Modular Propulsion kits for coastal and riverine Operational Logistics, or SAMPOL.

ERDC hosts Sediment Transport Collaborative Laboratory Experiment

Carol C. Coleman, public affairs specialist — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:03:44 GMT

This summer, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) hosted the U.S. Coastal Research Program’s (USCRP) Sediment Transport Collaborative Laboratory Experiment, or SEDCOLAB, to improve understanding of sediment transport processes by leveraging and coordinating scientific investigations from multiple research teams in a controlled, laboratory environment.

ERDC, USACE host workshop in Botswana to help mitigate lead contamination

Justus Reed, Public Affairs Specialist — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:03:36 GMT

Subject-matter experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Europe District recently traveled to Gaborone, Botswana to conduct an Environmental Soil Screening Workshop with the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) at their shooting ranges.

Vibration Proof: ERDC engineer helps protect B-2 bombers

Tim Reeves, ERDC Corporate Communications Office — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:47:00 GMT

For nearly four decades, the B-2 Spirit, commonly referred to as the stealth bomber, has been the tip of the spear in the United States’ ability to project force on a global scale. The aircraft’s capabilities – developed in secret and once thought impossible – were on full display during the recent Operation Midnight Hammer, in which the aircraft was used to dismantle assets with Iran’s nuclear weapons program.