29 Jan 2021

Fort Huachuca History of Development: Existing Reports and Contexts

Abstract: The Fort Huachuca Environmental and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) tasked ERDC-CERL to compile a history of the development of Fort Huachuca for use in evaluating existing facilities and how they fit within the larger, overarching history of the fort. Fort Huachuca desires a comprehensive history of the fort for use in better understanding how its various facilities integrate into the overall history and development of the fort and its existing and proposed National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) properties and districts. This comprehensive history will help ENRD in making determinations on how to address future National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nominations and/or recommendations for adding new historic districts or expanding the existing historic district. ERDC-CERL compiled content from 18 existing historic contexts, building inventory and cultural resources reports, NRHP nomination and registration forms, and Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) forms previously completed for the ENRD, and used these resources to compile the current history.

19 Jan 2021

Assessment of Workforce Systems Preferences/Skills Based on Employment Domain

Given the growing demand for a workforce with an understanding of system of systems, there is a need to assess an individual’s systems thinking skills. This research was undertaken to address this need by measuring an individual’s inclination to work on complex system problems based on their systems thinking score. This article investigates the correlation between employment domains and an individual’s systems thinking preferences/skills. Results of this research show that each employment domain is significantly different in their systems thinking preferences/skills profiles as well as significantly different in how the employment domains perceive change and their system’s worldview .

19 Jan 2021

Incorporating Color Change Propensity into Dredged Material Management to Increase Beneficial Use Opportunities

Dredged materials provide a number of beneficial use opportunities, including beach nourishment, habitat creation and restoration, and other activities. In situ sediment color is important for determining aesthetic and habitat suitability, for beach nourishment, and for other projects. However, dredged materials must meet locally established color compatibility requirements (for example, material cannot be too dark). Often, potential sediment sources are close to meeting specified color thresholds, and previous observations suggest that sediments lighten over time. In response to these observations, this study quantified sediment color change potential in a dredged m material management context. Results indicate that dredged material sediment color responded to changes in secondary color components, sediment mixing, and photolytic bleaching improving the sediment color for beneficial use application. Findings allowed for development of a conceptual color change capacity framework and supported development of tools for resource managers to incorporate color change dynamic into planning and operations activities. The following report provides a framework for determining the color change capacity of dredged materials using (1) a comprehensive laboratory approach and (2) a semiquantitative index based on source material and placement location conditions. These tools allow practitioners to incorporate dredged-material color change into resource management decisions, thus increasing beneficial use opportunities.

19 Jan 2021

Data Enrichment and Enhanced Accessibility of Waterborne Commerce Numerical Data: Spatially Depicting the National Waterway Network

This report provides methodologies and processes of data enrichment and enhanced accessibility of Waterborne Commerce and Statistics Center (WCSC) maintained databases. These databases house tabular and statistical data that reports on The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Division National Waterway Network (NWN), which geospatially represents approximately 1,000 harbors and 25,000 miles of channels and waterways. WCSC is a division of The Institute for Water Resources (IWR). They have been tasked with the international collection, maintenance, and archival of all records involving commercial movements and commerce that occur on federal waterways. The current records structure is a large, tabular dataset and limited to the systems and processes put in place prior to the computing standards and capabilities available today. Methods have been tested and utilized to bring the tabular datasets into an optimized, modern geospatial network and expanded upon to create a higher resolution than previously maintained by the WCSC. This report will expand upon the applied methodologies to optimize data queries and the overall enhancement of the data system to allow for linkages to various other sources of information for commerce data enhancement for decision support assistance.

15 Dec 2020

Evaluation of Thin Flexible Pavements under Simulated Aircraft Traffic

Abstract: A full-scale airfield pavement test section was constructed and trafficked by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to evaluate the performance of relatively thin airfield pavement structures. The test section consisted of 16 test items that included three asphalt pavement thicknesses and two different aggregate base courses. The test items were subjected to simulated aircraft traffic to evaluate their response and performance to realistic aircraft loads and to evaluate the effect of reductions in tire pressure on thin asphalt pavement. Rutting behavior, pavement cracking, instrumentation response, and falling weight deflectometer response were monitored at selected traffic intervals. The results of this study were used to extend existing Department of Defense pavement design and evaluation techniques to include the evaluation of airfield pavement sections that do not meet the current criteria for aggregate base quality and minimum asphalt concrete surface thickness. These performance data were used to develop new aggregate base failure design curves using existing stress-based design methodology.

15 Dec 2020

Environmental Quality Requirements Model Program Objective Memorandum Fiscal Years 2021–2025

Abstract: This document describes the methodology used to evaluate the costs incurred by organizations involved in planning, programming, budgeting, and execution of the Army’s environmental programs and estimating those costs for future year planning cycles, this model is referred to as the Environmental Quality Requirements Model (EQRM). The EQRM is used to develop the budget positions as presented to Congress to obtain the Operations and Maintenance appropriations. These appropriations fund the Environmental Quality Program which includes Compliance, Conservation and Pollution Prevention requirements. The model encompasses the commands under the funding structure of the Deputy Chief of Staff – G9 Installations which includes the following: Installation Management Command, the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve Command, and the Army Materiel Command.

1 Dec 2020

Seamless Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Creation for the Mississippi River in Louisiana to Support Hydrologic Modeling

N/A

1 Dec 2020

Vibration Survey of Room 47 with a Laser Doppler Vibrometer: Main Laboratory Basement, U.S. Army ERDC-CRREL

ABSTRACT:  Plans are underway to create an acousto-optic laboratory on the campus of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. For this purpose, existing space in the basement of the Main Laboratory will be renovated. Demanding measurement techniques, such as interferometry, require a sufficiently quiet vibration environment (i.e., low vibration levels). As such, characterization of existing vibration conditions is necessary to determine vibration isolation requirements so that highly sensitive measurement activities are feasible. To this end, existing vibro-acoustic conditions were briefly surveyed in Room 47, a part of the future laboratory. The survey measured ambient noise and ambient vertical floor vibrations. The ambient vibration environment was characterized according to generic velocity criteria (VC), which are one-third octave band vibration limits. At the time of the survey, the ambient vibration environment fell under a VC-A designation, where the tolerance limit is 2000 µin/s across all one-third octave bands. Under this condition, highly sensitive measurement activities are feasible on a vibration-isolated working surface. The conclusion of this report provides isolation efficiency requirements that satisfy VC-E limits (125 µin/s), which are necessary for interferometric measurements.

1 Dec 2020

Improving Design Methodologies and Assessment Tools for Building on Permafrost in a Warming Climate

Abstract: The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) operates numerous Arctic and Subarctic installations, including Alaska. Changes to permafrost can threaten critical built infrastructure. It is critical to accurately characterize and compare site conditions in permafrost regions to enable the efficient, cost-effective design and construction of an infrastructure well suited to the permafrost environment and that meets DoD requirements. This report describes three research efforts to establish (1) field investigation approaches for ground ice detection and delineation, (2) methods and modeling for early warning detection of thawing permafrost under infrastructure, and (3) an outline of a decision support system that determines the most applicable foundation design for warming and degrading permafrost. Outcomes of these interrelated efforts address needs to improve construction of DoD mission critical infrastructure on Arctic and Subarctic permafrost terrains. Field investigation processes used systematic methodologies including borehole data and geophysical measurements to effectively characterize subsurface permafrost information. The Permafrost Foundation Decision Support System (PFFDSS) tool implements and logically links field survey information and foundation type assessments. The current version of PFFDSS is designed to be accessible to design-engineers of a broad range of experience, that will reduce the effort and cost, and improve the effectiveness of site assessment.

1 Dec 2020

Formulation of a Multi-Scale Watershed Ecological Model Using a Statistical Approach

Abstract: The purpose of this special report is to provide a statistical stepwise process for formulation of ecological models for application at multiple scales using a stream condition index (SCI). Given the global variability of aquatic ecosystems, this guidance is for broad application and may require modification to suit specific watersheds or stream reaches. However, the general statistical treatise provided herein applies across physiographies and at multiple scales. The Duck River Watershed Assessment in Tennessee was used, in part, to develop and test this multiscale, statistical approach; thus, it is considered a case example and referenced throughout this report. The findings of this study can be utilized to (1) prioritize water-sheds for restoration, enhancement, and conservation; (2) plan and conduct site-specific, intensive ecosystem studies; and (3) assess ecosystem outcomes (that is, ecological lift) applicable to future with and without restoration actions including alternative, feasibility, and cost-benefit analyses and adaptive management.