Each year, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) welcomes hundreds of student interns from colleges and universities across the nation, including several students from our nation’s military academies. The hands-on research experience they receive, and the opportunity to work alongside engineers and scientists who are leaders in their field, helps forge a relationship between the top researchers of today and our nation’s leaders of tomorrow. “If you want to intern here at ERDC, you will have an experience unlike any other you will have in your career. You get the opportunity to work alongside world-class researchers and premiere facilities and tackle a swath of problems you might not even have known existed,” Leigh Provost, a research hydraulic engineer at ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, said. “… if you want the opportunity to work in an area that's essentially a playground for engineers, this is the place to be.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has set an ambitious goal to beneficially use 70 percent of its dredged sediment by 2030. It’s a big challenge that will require innovative solutions for fine-grained dredged sediments that cannot be used for traditional applications, such as beach nourishment. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory are working to overcome these challenges as they develop methods for deploying dredged sediment as feeder stock in 3D printing. Beyond the mechanical processes of using dredged sediment for 3D printing, ERDC researchers are also pioneering pre- and post-processing methods to help determine the material’s feasibility for being safely reintroduced into the environment. These printed structures will be used to enhance habitat, infrastructure, sediment containment, and energy dissipation, among other benefits. Little data on these processes currently exists and ERDC is looking to close that knowledge gap. Watch to learn more.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has set an ambitious goal to beneficially use 70 percent of its dredged sediment by 2030. It’s a big challenge that will require innovative solutions for fine-grained dredged sediments that cannot be used for traditional applications, such as beach nourishment. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory are working to overcome these challenges as they develop methods for deploying dredged sediment as feeder stock in 3D printing. Beyond the mechanical processes of using dredged sediment for 3D printing, ERDC researchers are also pioneering pre- and post-processing methods to help determine the material’s feasibility for being safely reintroduced into the environment. These printed structures will be used to enhance habitat, infrastructure, sediment containment, and energy dissipation, among other benefits. Little data on these processes currently exists and ERDC is looking to close that knowledge gap. Watch to learn more.

Kate Trubac from the the U.S. Army Engineer Research and...

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently hosted six cadets from the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy for a hands-on research and development experience in support of its Intelligent Environmental Battlespace Awareness Program. The two-week internship focused on field data collection at the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California, and modeling development at ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The work the cadets performed during their time at ERDC will have real world impacts. Data collected will be used to inform predictive global vegetation models that can be used to inform military operational planning. Before returning to their respective academies, some of the cadets took a moment to share their thoughts about their time at ERDC. Watch the video here.

Dr. David Young and Dr. Brandan Scully from the U.S....

Leveraging the unique robotic capabilities and facilities at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, part of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, engineers are working on a basic research project aimed at lightening Soldier loads and reducing the amount of personnel and machinery needed for down-range missions. The project, which goes by the acronym Co3MaNDR, uses a series of cable-driven robots that work together to reduce the lifting burden on front line military personnel, ultimately allowing distributed robotic systems to conduct complex military and maintenance efforts under the control of a single operator. Using a series of modules mounted on robotic platforms, Soldiers could potentially handle heavier equipment more easily, endure repetitive lifting tasks longer, or even coordinate heavy equipment near front lines from a remote location. To learn more about the mission and development of Co3MaNDR, watch this video.

The U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center (ERDC) broke ground recently on its new Permafrost Tunnel Operations Facility, a 4,300 square-foot building that will contribute to significant advances in permafrost engineering and geotechnical research. The facility will be built adjacent to the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility in Fox, Alaska. Expected to be completed in November 2025, it will house a laboratory with cold storage and a three-dimensional permafrost test bed, as well as office and meeting space, a visitor briefing area, and garage work and maintenance space.

Is a summer camp for future Engineers and Scientist. Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science.

The innovative team at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) hosted CERLCon24 – short for CERL Connection – recently. Featuring more than 80 presentations, posters and technical sessions, CERLCon aimed to foster critical connections between the laboratories world-class branches and teams. The three-day event brought together the CERL research and support community and built upon the foundation of collaboration built during CERLCon23, the first such event for the laboratory located in Champaign, Illinois. This video, which highlighted many of the laboratory’s facilities, capabilities, and talented and diverse workforce, kicked off the week’s festivities.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are working in support of ERDC’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Program to better inform efficient and economic dam safety monitoring by studying how the use of fully grouted vibrating wire piezometers compares to traditional methods. The geotechnical community has promoted fully grouted vibrating wire piezometer installations over conventional piezometers because of their ability to successfully monitor multiple zones within the same borehole. This method also requires fewer drilled holes, resulting in a reduced overall drilling cost. To accomplish their data collection, ERDC researchers worked in collaboration with the USACE Nashville District, which provided the test site, and the USACE Savannah District, which provided drilling equipment and expertise.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are working in support of ERDC’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Program to better inform efficient and economic dam safety monitoring by studying how the use of fully grouted vibrating wire piezometers compares to traditional methods. The geotechnical community has promoted fully grouted vibrating wire piezometer installations over conventional piezometers because of their ability to successfully monitor multiple zones within the same borehole. This method also requires fewer drilled holes, resulting in a reduced overall drilling cost. To accomplish their data collection, ERDC researchers worked in collaboration with the USACE Nashville District, which provided the test site, and the USACE Savannah District, which provided drilling equipment and expertise.

The U.S. Navy has leveraged the unique research and technical capabilities of the U.S. Army Watercraft and Ship Simulator, based at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), to advance and support a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Calling upon the unique combination of high-tech simulators and world-class computer and hydrological engineers at ERDC, the Navy is testing whether port facilities in the South Pacific region can accommodate today’s larger naval vessels and supply ships.

Lake Altoona, Wisconsin, faces a critical threat from sedimentation that could potentially turn it into a marsh within 20-30 years. Traditional dredging solutions have raised economic and environmental concerns for the Lake Altoona community. Researchers with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and engineers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District are working with the Lake Altoona District to test a bedload sediment collector that could offer an economical and environmentally sustainable option for this ongoing challenge. Watch the full implementation study video to learn how this innovative solution could be a game-changer for Lake Altoona and other similar environments.