13 Apr 2023

Historic Architecture and Landscape Inventory for Gordon Lakes Golf Club, Fort Gordon, Georgia

The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. Fort Gordon is located in northeast Georgia, directly west of Augusta-Richmond. It was first established as Camp Gordon during WWII for infantry and armor training. It has been known as Fort Gordon since 1956. This report provides historic context and recommends eligibility determinations for 24 buildings, structures, and landscapes associated with the Gordon Lakes Golf Club constructed between 1975 and 2009. The report recommends two Real Property landscapes (the Golf Driving Range and 18-Hole Golf Course including Gordon Lake) and one structure (Gordon Lake Dam) are eligible for the NRHP. The other 21 buildings and structures are recommended Not Eligible. Consulting with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer, this work fulfills Section 110 requirements for these buildings, structures, and landscapes.

5 Apr 2023

4D Printing Structures for Extreme Temperatures Using Metakaolin Based Geopolymers

Abstract: Geopolymers (GPs) are a class of amorphous, aluminosilicate-based ceramics that cure at room temperature. GPs are formed by mixing an aluminosilicate source, which is metakaolin in this case, with an alkali activator solution, which can be either sodium or potassium water glass. GPs have attracted interest for use in structural applications over the past few decades because they have superior mechanical properties to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Additionally, they can tolerate much higher temperatures and produce a fraction of the CO₂ compared to OPC. This project aims to develop geopolymer composites for 4D printing (the fourth dimension being time) and test their mechanical properties. Rheology and the effects of curing in ambient conditions will be evaluated for fresh geopolymer. Freeze-thaw resistance will be evaluated on potentially printable composites for extreme temperature resistance, etc.

4 Apr 2023

Character-Defining Features of the Buffalo South Mole (South Pier), NY

The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. The precursor to the Corps of Engineers erected the mole (a.k.a., the south pier) in the early 1820s at the entrance to the Buffalo harbor. The area on top of and surrounding the mole was modified through the past two hundred years, many of the character-defining features remain including the stone retaining walls, talus, stairs, and lighthouse identified in plans and drawings from the period of construction. Notably lost is the stone tow path, or banquette, and the stone incline on the south side of the mole is no longer visible. The researchers recommend a period of significance of c. 1820 through 1972 (50 years) since the mole has continued its original use of keeping the entrance to the Buffalo River open for freight and recreational boating traffic through the present day.

27 Mar 2023

Evaluation of 11 Properties at Fort Hunter Liggett, California for Eligibility to the National Register

Abstract: The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. Fort Hunter Liggett is in Central California, entirely within Monterey County. It was first established as the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation in 1941. The post was renamed Fort Hunter Liggett in 1975. This report provides a determination of eligibility for nine properties (Buildings 172, 179, 196, 197, 291, 2199, 723, and 914 and facilities 0301BS and radio-controlled aerial target [RCAT]) constructed between 1956 and 1972 and recommends that none are eligible under the NRHP and the California Register of Historic Resources (CRHR) criteria. Two other properties (Buildings 177 and 178) were found to be covered by the Unaccompanied Personnel Housing (UPH) Program Comment of 2006. In consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Officer (CASHPO), this work fulfills Section 110 requirements for these buildings.

13 Mar 2023

Assessment of LEED 2.2 and LEED 2009 Implementation in Meeting Army SDD Policy Goals

Abstract: This report describes our analysis of how Army Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification data demonstrates success in meeting Army sustainable design and development (SDD) policy goals. Specifically, the research team evaluated how LEED 2.2 and v2009 credits related to Army SDD policy objectives, then identified trends over time in Army LEED 2.2 and v2009-rated Projects. This is a historical assessment of actual project data, captured before the Army transitioned to the newer LEED v4. This report explains how implementation of LEED NC 2.2 and v2009 credits helped Army projects achieve SDD policy objectives. Emphasis was placed on LEED credits that directly related to SDD policy requirements which Army construction and major renovation projects needed to meet. Figures throughout the report illustrate how many Army LEED certified projects earned LEED New Construction credits 2.2 from FY2009 to FY2016 and LEED v2009 credits from FY2011 to FY2016. Some figures also rank the LEED 2.2 and LEED v2009 credits from most popular to least popular. Implementation of the Army’s 2013 SDD policy requiring LEED certification has allowed analysis of how Army military construction (MILCON) projects achieved energy, water, and waste goals on a large scale.

3 Jan 2023

Fort Hunter Liggett: A History and Analysis

Abstract: The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires Federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires Federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of Federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. Fort Hunter Liggett is located on California’s Central Coast within Monterey County. The fort has been used as a training facility for large-scale maneuvers and live-fire exercises since its establishment as a US Army training facility in 1941. The periods of significance for Criterion A are: from 1769 to 1833, relating to the founding and development of Mission San Antonio de Padua; from 1834 to 1923, relating to Euro-American land grants and ranchos; from 1923 to 1940, relating to Hearst’s purchase of the property and subsequent development; from 1940 to 1945, relating to the establishment of the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation (HLMR) and activities related to WWII; from 1959 to 1970, relating to the establishment and buildup of CDEC; and from 1975 to 1980, relating to HLMR’s redesignation as Fort Hunter Liggett and associated development. This report provides a comprehensive historic context for ranges, features, and buildings at Fort Hunter Liggett in support of Section 110 of the NHPA.

29 Dec 2022

Evaluating a Multi-Panel Air Cathode Through Electrochemical and Biotic Tests

Abstract: To scale up microbial fuel cells (MFCs), larger cathodes need to be developed that can use air directly, rather than dissolved oxygen, and have good electrochemical performance. A new type of cathode design was examined here that uses a “window-pane” approach with fifteen smaller cathodes welded to a single conductive metal sheet to maintain good electrical conductivity across the cathode with an increase in total area. Abiotic electrochemical tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of the cathode size (exposed areas of 7 cm², 33 cm², and 6200 cm²) on performance for all cathodes having the same active catalyst material. Increasing the size of the exposed area of the electrodes to the electrolyte from 7 cm² to 33 cm² (a single cathode panel) decreased the cathode potential by 5%, and a further increase in size to 6200 cm² using the multi-panel cathode reduced the electrode potential by 55% (at 0.6 A m⁻²), in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS). In 85 L MFC tests with the largest cathode using wastewater as a fuel, the maximum power density based on polarization data was 0.083 ± 0.006Wm⁻² using 22 brush anodes to fully cover the cathode, and 0.061 ± 0.003Wm⁻² with 8 brush anodes (40% of cathode projected area) compared to 0.304 ± 0.009Wm⁻² obtained in the 28 mL MFC. Recovering power from large MFCs will therefore be challenging, but several approaches identified in this study can be pursued to maintain performance when increasing the size of the electrodes.

30 Nov 2022

Automation of Gridded HEC-HMS Model Development Using Python: Initial Condition Testing and Calibration Applications

Abstract: The US Army Corps of Engineers’s (USACE) Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) rainfall-runoff model is widely used within the research community to develop both event-based and continuous rainfall-runoff models. The soil moisture accounting (SMA) algorithm is commonly used for long-term simulations. Depending on the final model setup, 12 to 18 parameters are needed to characterize the modeled watershed’s canopy, surface, soil, and routing processes, all of which are potential calibration parameters. HEC-HMS includes optimization tools to facilitate model calibration, but only initial conditions (ICs) can be calibrated when using the gridded SMA algorithm. Calibrating a continuous SMA HEC-HMS model is an iterative process that can require hundreds of simulations, a time intensive process requiring automation. HEC-HMS is written in Java and is predominantly run through a graphical user interface (GUI). As such, conducting a long-term gridded SMA calibration is infeasible using the GUI. USACE Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) has written a workflow that utilizes the existing Jython application programming interface (API) to batch run HEC-HMS simulations with Python. The workflow allows for gridded SMA HEC-HMS model sensitivity and calibration analyses to be conducted in a timely manner.

8 Nov 2022

Network Development and Autonomous Vehicles: A Smart Transportation Testbed at Fort Carson

Abstract: In this work, a smart transportation testbed was utilized at Fort Carson to demonstrate three use cases for the primary purpose to plan, develop, demonstrate, and employ autonomous vehicle technologies at military installations and within the surrounding communities to evaluate commercially available Connected and Automated Vehicles and the potential to reduce base operating costs, improve safety and quality of life for military service members and their families, and deliver services more efficiently and effectively. To meet this purpose, an automated vehicle shuttle, an unmanned aerial system, and a wireless network were used and tested during the project. Results for the automated shuttle indicated that de-spite the quantity of data generated by operations, the contractors may not be ready to share information in a readily usable format. Additionally, successful use by the public is predicated on both knowing their mobility patterns and staff members promoting trust in the technology to prospective riders. Results for the unmanned aerial system showed successful identification of foreign object debris and runway cracks at the airfield. The wireless network is now operational and is used for additional work which utilizes the installed traffic cameras.

25 Oct 2022

Numerical Modeling of Mesoscale Infrasound Propagation in the Arctic

Abstract: The impacts of characteristic weather events and seasonal patterns on infrasound propagation in the Arctic region are simulated numerically. The methodology utilizes wide-angle parabolic equation methods for a windy atmosphere with inputs provided by radiosonde observations and a high-resolution reanalysis of Arctic weather. The calculations involve horizontal distances up to 200 km for which interactions with the troposphere and lower stratosphere dominate. Among the events examined are two sudden stratospheric warmings, which are found to weaken upward refraction by temperature gradients while creating strongly asymmetric refraction from disturbances to the circumpolar winds. Also examined are polar low events, which are found to enhance negative temperature gradients in the troposphere and thus lead to strong upward refraction. Smaller-scale and topographically driven phenomena, such as low-level jets, katabatic winds, and surface-based temperature inversions, are found to create frequent surface-based ducting out to 100 km. The simulations suggest that horizontal variations in the atmospheric profiles, in response to changing topography and surface property transitions, such as ice boundaries, play an important role in the propagation.