30 Apr 2025

Sediment Transport and Morphological Response to Nearshore Nourishment Projects on Wave-Dominated Coasts

Abstract: Nearshore nourishments are constructed for shoreline protection from waves, to provide sediment nourishment to the beach profile, and to beneficially use dredged sediment from navigation channel maintenance. However, it is poorly understood how placement morphology and depth influence nearshore processes operated on wave-dominated coasts. This study investigates the wave fields, sediment transport, and morphological response to three common nearshore nourishment shapes, nearshore berm (elongated bar), undulated nearshore berm, and small discrete mounds, with numerical experiments utilizing the Coastal Modeling System. The nourishments are placed in depths between 3 m and 7 m with a volume of approximately 100,000 m3 and between 400 m and 1000 m in alongshore length. Numerical experiments are carried out in three distinct coastal settings with representative wave climates and geomorphology. Simulation results indicate that shallower, more continuous berms attenuate the most wave energy, while deeper, more diffuse placements retain more sediment. Results from this study improve the understanding of nearshore nourishment shapes and can support decision makers identifying the most appropriate construction technique for future nearshore nourishment projects.

30 Apr 2025

Evaluation of Anchorage for the Bridge Supplemental Set: Uplift Capacity in Weak Soils and Installation Limits for the ROCK-IT Lead Section

Abstract: Two series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the uplift capacity of Bridge Supplemental Set (BSS) anchors in weak/dense soils. Six anchors were installed in two different sites consisting of very soft soils, and tension was applied until uplift. Experimental uplift capacities were compared to theoretical minimum capacities, which proved to be a conservative way to estimate anchor capacity. Minimum average installation torque of 1,750 ft-lb was recommended. Sixteen anchors were installed in six different sites with dense soils. Soils with N values of 22 and higher prohibited anchor installation, indicating that anchors can only be installed in soils with densities up to medium dense sandy and very still clay soils.

30 Apr 2025

Characterization and Rheological Examination of Charleroi Mix 2 Paste Constituents

Abstract: This technical report details the testing plan, methodology, and results used to characterize the paste constituent materials for Charleroi Concrete Mixture 2. Raw materials were characterized for physical and chemical properties of interest including chemical composition, mineralogy, particle size, and absorption capacity. Isothermal calorimetry was used to study the reactivity of constituent materials, and rotational rheology was used to study the impact of various constituent materials on the expected workability and fluidity of the composite paste.

30 Apr 2025

Pier Analysis Tool: User’s Manual

Abstract: This report documents the development of a rapid structural load-capacity assessment capability for ship docking and offloading structures (i.e., piers) and automation of the assessment technique into a user-friendly personal computer–based tool referred to herein as the Pier Analysis Tool (PAT). This capability provides a quick first-cut assessment of the load-bearing capacity of pier structures in terms of maximum allowable ship mooring loads and allowable weights for typical commercial and military vehicles and equipment associated with military discharge operations. The report covers the technical basis for the structural analyses along with detailed computational examples. It also provides a detailed user guide for PAT.

30 Apr 2025

Corps Shoaling Analysis Tool (CSAT) User Guide

Abstract: The Corps Shoaling Analysis Tool (CSAT) is a suite of computational routines for evaluating shoaling rates in navigation channels maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This is achieved using survey data from the eHydro enterprise hydrographic survey database. At the local scale, CSAT’s outputs are useful for understanding historical shoaling trends and identifying shoaling hotspots, while enterprise-level shoaling forecasts support Operations and Maintenance (O&M) planning over a 5-year time horizon. This user guide provides practical, step-by-step instructions for new CSAT users who wish to download, install, and run the tool. Later sections provide insight into CSAT’s advanced features while also describing the methods and assumptions that underlie the calculations.

29 Apr 2025

Tools for Inlet Geomorphic Mapping: An Overview and Application at East Pass, Florida and Fire Island Inlet, New York

Abstract: The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to highlight emerging tools for inlet geomorphic mapping and describe the workflows used to implement the tools. The Coastal Inlets Research Program (CIRP) maintains the US Coastal Inlets Atlas, which houses technical information (e.g., physical processes, navigation channel position, federal authorization for management purposes) on tidal inlets. Future expansion of the Atlas should include ready-made products that address a call from coastal inlet managers and practitioners to map inlet geomorphic change and features more accurately. The methods and workflows demonstrated in this document represent the first step towards expanding the US Coastal Inlets Atlas.

29 Apr 2025

Toward Objectives and Metrics for Supporting US Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Asset Management Decision-Making Tradeoffs

Abstract: The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of $250 billion worth of assets. As budgets shrink and infrastructure becomes increasingly costly to maintain, USACE Civil Works (CW) must develop innovative asset management (AM) strategies to sustain these assets while also delivering maximum value to USACE and the nation. As a result, USACE-CW AM is seeking metrics capable of demonstrating the benefit of maintenance, repair, and replacement project alternatives for all USACE business lines (BLs) to support budget decision-making. This report presents 10 objectives and 51 metrics for potential use in a future USACE-CW value model. This report describes the structure and function of USACE-CW as it relates to the budget decision-making process. Next, past attempts at revising the budget decision-making process are reviewed, and the current budget framework is examined. Last, 10 objectives and 51 associated metrics are presented that represent the mission of USACE-CW and measure the attainment of this mission. Collectively, this information can support budget decision-making by helping facilitate portfolio decision analytics, resulting in a defensible decision-making process and yielding high-value budget decisions.

25 Apr 2025

Analysis Tools and Techniques for Evaluating Quality in Synthetic Data Generated by the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment

Abstract: The capability to produce high-quality labeled synthetic image data is an important tool for building and maintaining machine learning datasets. However, ensuring computer-generated data is of high quality is very challenging. This report describes an effort to evaluate and improve synthetic image data generated by the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment’s Environment and Sensor Engine (VANE::ESE), as well as documenting a set of tools developed to process, analyze, and train models from, image datasets generated by VANE::ESE. Additionally, the results of several experiments are presented, including an investigation into using explainable AI techniques, and direct comparisons of various models trained on multiple synthetic datasets.

21 Apr 2025

Potential Benefits of Subaqueous Soil Data on Department of Defense Installations

Purpose: Many domestic and international US Department of Defense (DoD) installations are located in coastal areas. Recent advances in the classification and mapping of subaqueous soils, which occur in shallow freshwater and marine environments, has the potential to benefit US military operations in several different ways. This technical note communicates the importance of subaqueous soil classification and describes how subaqueous soil information can inform the management of natural resources, infrastructure and transportation, mitigation of coastal storm risk, protection of the coast from natural threats, and the understanding of nearshore environments in the US and abroad.

21 Apr 2025

Evaluation of NiTech FG-NDGB Pelletized Asphalt for Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery Applications

Purpose: The NiTech Corporation’s FG-NDGB Pelletized Asphalt (PA), herein referred to as NiTech PA, was identified as a surfacing material for Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery (RADR) applications by the US Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC). AFCEC tasked the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) with evaluating NiTech PA by conducting full-scale crater repairs and applying simulated F-15E aircraft loads. The properties of the repair material were also to be obtained via laboratory characterization testing.