30 Jan 2026

Estimating Component Probability of Failure at USACE Civil Works Facilities for Asset Management

Abstract: Infrastructure components are the building blocks of US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) facilities such as navigation locks and dams. Estimates of component probability of failure are needed to support risk-informed decisions about managing and maintaining these systems and their components. At Inland Navigation (INAV) facilities, the models and methods currently in use are based on an expert elicitation. There is a need for more objective estimates of component probability of failure derived from data using statistical models and methods. This report demonstrates these models and methods and describes what kinds of data would be needed to put them into practice. The major impediment to putting these models and methods into practice is a lack of data on the age, performance, and other characteristics of in-service components. It will take time to develop these data. In the meantime, this report describes how these statistical methods and models can be adapted for use with operational condition assessment (OCA) ratings, which USACE maintains in an existing database at the enterprise scale. Finally, this report describes an analytical approach to criticality assessment, which is a systematic process for identifying which components, if failed, would lead to significant operational disruptions.

30 Jan 2026

Linear Propagation of Tsunami and Acoustic–Gravity Waves on a Sphere: Geometrical Focusing and Defocusing

Abstract: This study investigates the propagation of tsunami and acoustic–gravity waves at oceanic scales, accounting for the Earth’s curvature within a linear, potential flow framework. While local, near-field analyses often neglect Earth’s curvature and employ Cartesian or cylindrical coordinate systems, this work utilises spherical coordinates to examine wave behaviour over large distances. The analysis reveals that wave amplitudes experience a defocusing effect as they travel from the source (e.g., the Pole) toward the equator, followed by a focusing effect as they approach the antipodal point beyond the equator. A qualitative comparison is made with the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption in the South Pacific. The study models surface-gravity (tsunami) waves propagating through a compressible water layer, as well as atmospheric acoustic–gravity waves propagating through the air. The entire analysis is carried out within the framework of linear theory.

30 Jan 2026

Well-Defined Glycopolymer Chitosan Mimics for Design of Chitosan Nanocomposites

Abstract: Chitosan, a naturally derived polysaccharide with intriguing antimicrobial and polycationic properties, is highly desirable as a biosourced and biodegradable material for biomedical, food packaging, and personal care applications. Its inherent high levels of variability in molecular weight, dispersity, and degree of deacetylation, however, make the establishment of structure− property−processing relationships difficult and limit materials development. In this study, a novel methacrylate-based glycomonomer with saccharide structure similar to that of chitosan was synthesized and copolymerized with methyl methacrylate via reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization to create a series of well-defined chitosan mimics with controlled molecular weights and low dispersity (<1.1). Evaluation of mammalian cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus revealed performance similar to that of chitosan. The copolymers were used as models to evaluate difficult-to-probe interactions between chitosan and graphene oxide (GO) and elucidate mechanisms of mechanical property improvements observed in chitosan/GO nanocomposite films.

29 Jan 2026

A Monolithically Coupled Surface Water and Groundwater Finite Element Model with Fully Implicit Time Stepping Using Adaptive Hydraulics (AdH) v5.0 (KraRE: 21428 (ken)

Abstract: Simulation of surface water and groundwater interaction is becoming increasingly important for the US Army Corps of Engineer Civil Works and Military Missions. This report details the formulation of a monolithic, coupled approach that combines the Richards equation for variably saturated groundwater flow and a diffusive wave approximation for overland flow. The model is implemented with USACE’s Adaptive Hydraulics (AdH) computational framework and is evaluated for several community benchmark problems. The results indicate that the AdH model is stable with performance similar to existing, well-established codes for surface water and groundwater interaction.

29 Jan 2026

Composite Materials for Sector Gates and Vertical Lift Gates: Report of FY22–FY24 Project Outcomes

Abstract: This project supported a Statement of Need (SON) submitted to the Navigation Research Area Review Group: SON 2021-1505 by David Weston, Business Line Manager for Inland Navigation (INAV) and Flood Risk Management (FRM) at Jacksonville District. The goal of this study was to provide design guidance, criteria, and performance standards for professionals to use in the design, retrofit, maintenance, and repair of Canaveral sector gates and W. P. Franklin vertical lift gates using structural grade fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The results also contribute to guidance documentation used for Hydraulic Composite Structures at other INAV structures. Our work focused on four main subject areas: direct field support, workforce education, structural connection design and modal analysis, and inspection guidance. As this research project progressed through three FYs in coordination with stakeholders across the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and industry, the Inland Navigation Design Center (INDC) and the Jacksonville District gained competency in hydraulic composite structures design techniques, which enabled their successful award of a contract for composite bulkheads at Port Mayaca and vertical lift gates at W. P. Franklin.

28 Jan 2026

Unpiloted Aerial System–Borne Ground-Penetrating Radar for Snow Depth Estimation in Mountainous Warfighter Domain

Abstract: We demonstrate the latest capability in unpiloted aerial systems (UAS) ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements for snow depth estimation in mountainous terrain. Several technical considerations are important for successful data collections such as aircraft radio frequency link interference. We found that a 2.4 GHz ground control station to aircraft link frequency maintains independence from the 0−1.5 GHz bandwidth of the Zond Aero 500 GPR. Between flights at 2 m and 4 m above ground level (AGL), the footprint of the radar signal on the ground increases by approximately 25%, which increases off-nadir scattering and reduces reflection coherence. We developed an automated layer detection tool to identify air-snow and snow-soil interfaces within the radar signal and estimated snow depth using these automated signal interpretation methods and user-guided interpretations for validation. We found that flights conducted at 2 m AGL resulted in more precise snow depth estimates (21 cm [7%] uncertainty) than flights conducted at 4 m AGL (34 cm [12%] uncertainty). We estimated snow depth with UAS-GPR; however, with further development, this technique can inform near-real-time retrievals of additional snow properties critical to vehicle mobility within the warfighter domain.

28 Jan 2026

Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD) Evaluation of Low Volume Road Structural Deterioration Under Military Traffic Loads

Abstract: In a combat zone, military vehicles may not have the benefit of traveling on well-constructed pavements, necessitating the use of low volume roads (LVR) to transport personnel and cargo. Military vehicles can cause rapid structural damage to LVRs that are not designed to withstand increased traffic loads. Currently, rapid pavement infrastructure assessment techniques for military personnel are based on qualitative visual inspections which do not provide estimates for structural capacity of the pavement. The objective of this project was to determine whether the lightweight deflectometer (LWD) can be used as a structural evaluation tool for LVRs in contingency operations. This study explored the capability of LWD equipment in evaluating factors that influence flexible pavement structural capacity: load-induced deterioration, soil moisture, and asphalt temperature. Falling-weight-deflectometer (FWD) and LWD tests were performed to measure pavement structural condition. The LWD was shown to be applicable for LVRs experiencing military traffic. The LWD is portable, simple to use, and more suitable than the FWD for LVRs when high rut depths are permitted. LWD data trended similarly to FWD data and therefore can be recommended as an alternate to the FWD in assessing the structural condition of LVRs for contingency planning.

27 Jan 2026

Procedure for Determining the Thermal Properties of Asphalt Binder

Purpose: This technical note documents a testing procedure developed and used by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to measure the thermal properties of asphalt binder. While these properties can be measured using specialized precision equipment that is unavailable in most asphalt testing laboratories, no standardized test methods exist to determine the thermal properties of asphalt binder. The test method described herein employs user-friendly equipment to measure the thermal properties of interest. The repeatability of the test procedure was evaluated on samples of asphalt binder blended with varying amounts of graphite and was found to be acceptable.

27 Jan 2026

Evaluation of European Rapid-Setting Concrete Products for Airfield Repairs

Abstract: The USAF is assessing European cementitious repair products to certify them for spall and crater repairs on airfield pavements. As part of this ef-fort, the USAF asked the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to evaluate and test three European-manufactured rapid-setting materials at the Silver Flag Exercise Site, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. ERDC evaluated and tested two cementitious products manufactured by Concretum, a company in Switzerland (country code CH), and one product, AC Concrete Rapid Set, from CTS Cement Manufacturing Corporation. The product was provided by Korodur International, a German (country code DE) distributor. Rapid pavement repair activities are critical to economically and efficiently sustaining airfield operations with existing pavement infrastructure. Repairing spalls and craters in Portland cement concrete airfield pavements will help lower repair costs from aircraft impact damage and prolong the service life of the pavement, ultimately saving money over its lifespan. Numerous partial-depth spall and full-scale crater repairs were constructed along existing inner and outer slab joints and backfilled with rapid-setting cementitious repair products following manufacturer mixing requirements.

22 Jan 2026

Knowledge Gaps and Education Opportunities on Direct Potable Reuse: Interviews with Customers of a Large, Southwestern United States Water Utility

Abstract: Water scarcity is a global public health threat that has increased urgency in implementing new sustainable practices to protect water supplies, such as the use of direct potable reuse, or “advanced water purification (AWP)". The study objective was to use interviews to characterize knowledge gaps and community outreach strategies to increase successful AWP implementation in an arid city in the southwestern United States. Through partnership with a water utility in an urbanized area of Arizona, 6000 individuals were emailed for invitation to participate in interviews. Interviews were conducted over Zoom and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts underwent inductive thematic analysis. Twenty-two individuals participated in interviews, and saturation of themes was reached. Five main themes emerged: 1) Conflation of filters with all treatment and the influence of residential technologies, 2) individual-level control over decisions to use advanced purified water, 3) desire for regulation, testing, and transparency about testing results, 4) concerns about specific chemicals, 5) educational resources to strengthen community engagement. Participants expressed lack of knowledge about how water is delivered to their residences by expressing the desire for opting in or out of system-wide treatment approaches.