3 Jul 2025

Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock Replacement Study: Hydrodynamic Modeling and Ship Simulation

Abstract: The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lock connects the Mississippi River to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, surrounded by developed areas in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tow transit times through the current IHNC lock take up to 20 hours. The US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has proposed constructing a new lock to reduce tow transit times significantly. However, the new lock will have potential effects on vehicle traffic patterns due to the three bridges across IHNC. To address potential navigation issues, hydrodynamic modeling and ship simulations of the study area were conducted for the three phases of the project: new lock construction, present lock deconstruction, and proposed new lock design. The hydrodynamic model was developed and validated to present conditions, simulating various water levels across the lock structure to provide water levels and currents for ship simulation. The ship simulation was used to record transit times to determine impacts of the waterborne vessel traffic on vehicular traffic due to bridge raising and lowering, as well as navigability of the bypass channels associated with lock construction and existing lock deconstruction. Elicitation from the towing industry was used to inform final design of the new IHNC lock and bypass channels.

2 Jul 2025

Remote Detection of Soil Shear Strength in Arctic and Subarctic Environments

Abstract: Soil shear strength affects many military activities and is affected significantly by plant roots. Unfortunately, root contribution to soil shear strength is difficult to measure and predict. In the boreal forest ecosystem, soil and hydrologic dynamics make soil shear strength less predictable, while the need for prediction grows due to the rapid changes occurring in this environment. Our current study objectives are to (1) observe possible aboveground vegetation indicators of soil shear strength variation across soils and other environmental heterogeneity, (2) observe possible image-based indicators of soil shear strength variation, and (3) identify the best remote-sensing data source for predicting soil shear strength variation. A total of 65 sites were sampled from a diversity of soil and vegetation types across interior Alaska and Ontario, Canada. Ground-collected data were analyzed to develop a predictive model, while a similar approach was undertaken with Sentinel-2 imagery. Results indicate that both ground-collected data and satellite imagery can reasonably predict boreal forest soil shear strength, with satellite imagery providing the higher predictive ability. A comparison of 10 m Sentinel-2 and submeter Maxar imagery indicated that Sentinel-2 provides a better prediction of soil shear strength.

1 Jul 2025

Bruce Goff and the Camp Parks Entrance Sign: Bruce Goff’s Life, Achievements, Design Philosophy, and Military Contributions at Camp Parks, California

The Camp Parks entrance sign in Camp Parks, California was recommended eligible by the Army for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1998 under Criterion C and the California Office of Historic Preservation concurred with that decision in 1999. Designed by renowned architect Bruce Goff while stationed by the Navy at Camp Parks, the sign holds a significant value in the architectural industry, although the sign is no longer used for its initial purpose. All structures, especially historic ones, require regular planned maintenance and repair. The most notable cause of historic structure element failure or decay is not the fact that the historic structure is old, but rather, it is caused by incorrect or inappropriate repair or basic neglect of the historic building fabric. This document is a report detailing historic information regarding Camp Parks, the life and success of Goff, as well as the 3D scanning, and the subsequent relocation of the Camp Parks entrance sign. This report satisfies Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended and will aid in management of the sign by personnel at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Parks.