At the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, innovation is transforming the speed and scale of delivery to the Warfighter and the nation – elevating mission readiness and the sustainment of critical infrastructure. From rapid part replacement in inland navigation systems to the use of high-performance materials for military engineering, large-scale metal additive manufacturing is revolutionizing defense and infrastructure readiness. A defining metric has been speed. Parts that used to take 18 months or more to manufacture with traditional methods can now be produced in weeks using additive manufacturing. Through partnerships with industry and academia, ERDC is raising the bar on scalable, efficient and mission-ready technology solutions for our nation and military. Watch to learn more.

At the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Information Technology Laboratory, researchers are shaping the factory of the future — where artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high-performance computing and cybersecurity come together to transform mission-critical manufacturing and operations. From real-time, AI-powered monitoring of additive manufacturing processes to digital twin technology and closed-loop machine control, ERDC’s work is driving a new era of secure, on-demand production in support of national defense. Whether on an aircraft carrier or forward operating base, the ability to design and produce mission-essential components at the point of need is no longer a future vision — it’s becoming a reality. Learn how ERDC is engineering the future of manufacturing, one breakthrough at a time.

In dense urban environments and on the battlefield, our Warfighters must be prepared to face numerous threats, including toxic industrial chemicals, which can significantly hinder military operations. To help the Army bolster its force protection measures, computational chemistry experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are applying groundbreaking methods to help predict chemical threats before they impact mission success. Watch to learn more about how this team transforms physical principles into algorithmic models that can predict the behavior of chemicals and materials.

In dense urban environments and on the battlefield, our Warfighters must be prepared to face numerous threats, including toxic industrial chemicals, which can significantly hinder military operations. To help the Army bolster its force protection measures, computational chemistry experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are applying groundbreaking methods to help predict chemical threats before they impact mission success. Watch to learn more about how this team transforms physical principles into algorithmic models that can predict the behavior of chemicals and materials.

Water is a critical resource for every military operation, from forward operating bases in arid deserts, to unexpected deployments in remote locations. Ensuring clean, safe water can spell the difference between mission success and failure and comes with its own set of challenges for the Warfighter. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center are stepping up to meet this moment with a game-changing solution, graphene. Watch to see how they are harnessing the power of this advanced material.

The Port of Long Beach, California, is the second busiest port in the United States. It handles more than nine-million 20-foot container units each year with cargo valued at $200 billion. Yet existing channel dimensions and tidal delays pose limitations and inefficiencies for current and future deep draft vessel traffic. To navigate the port complex, these larger vessels must carry a lighter load from their point of origin, which ultimately increases the nation’s transportation costs by requiring more ships to move cargo into and out of the complex. In 2016, Port of Long Beach officials began to address these constraints and sought federal assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District to conduct a deep draft navigation feasibility study of the port to widen and deepen its navigation channel. To test its proposed channel design improvements, District project engineers reached out to the U.S. Army’s Watercraft and Ship Simulator, headquartered at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to run ship simulations with pilots from the Port of Long Beach. The feasibility study was completed in 2021 and included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. The project is now in the pre-construction engineering design phase, and Los Angeles District project engineers have once again sought out ERDC’s expertise in ship simulation to help verify the navigability and safety of the selected channel design. Watch to learn more.

The Port of Long Beach, California, is the second busiest port in the United States. It handles more than nine-million 20-foot container units each year with cargo valued at $200 billion. Yet existing channel dimensions and tidal delays pose limitations and inefficiencies for current and future deep draft vessel traffic. To navigate the port complex, these larger vessels must carry a lighter load from their point of origin, which ultimately increases the nation’s transportation costs by requiring more ships to move cargo into and out of the complex. In 2016, Port of Long Beach officials began to address these constraints and sought federal assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District to conduct a deep draft navigation feasibility study of the port to widen and deepen its navigation channel. To test its proposed channel design improvements, District project engineers reached out to the U.S. Army’s Watercraft and Ship Simulator, headquartered at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to run ship simulations with pilots from the Port of Long Beach. The feasibility study was completed in 2021 and included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. The project is now in the pre-construction engineering design phase, and Los Angeles District project engineers have once again sought out ERDC’s expertise in ship simulation to help verify the navigability and safety of the selected channel design. Watch to learn more.

Each year, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) welcomes hundreds of student interns from colleges and universities across the nation, including several students from our nation’s military academies. The hands-on research experience they receive, and the opportunity to work alongside engineers and scientists who are leaders in their field, helps forge a relationship between the top researchers of today and our nation’s leaders of tomorrow. “If you want to intern here at ERDC, you will have an experience unlike any other you will have in your career. You get the opportunity to work alongside world-class researchers and premiere facilities and tackle a swath of problems you might not even have known existed,” Leigh Provost, a research hydraulic engineer at ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, said. “… if you want the opportunity to work in an area that's essentially a playground for engineers, this is the place to be.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has set an ambitious goal to beneficially use 70 percent of its dredged sediment by 2030. It’s a big challenge that will require innovative solutions for fine-grained dredged sediments that cannot be used for traditional applications, such as beach nourishment. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory are working to overcome these challenges as they develop methods for deploying dredged sediment as feeder stock in 3D printing. Beyond the mechanical processes of using dredged sediment for 3D printing, ERDC researchers are also pioneering pre- and post-processing methods to help determine the material’s feasibility for being safely reintroduced into the environment. These printed structures will be used to enhance habitat, infrastructure, sediment containment, and energy dissipation, among other benefits. Little data on these processes currently exists and ERDC is looking to close that knowledge gap. Watch to learn more.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has set an ambitious goal to beneficially use 70 percent of its dredged sediment by 2030. It’s a big challenge that will require innovative solutions for fine-grained dredged sediments that cannot be used for traditional applications, such as beach nourishment. Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory are working to overcome these challenges as they develop methods for deploying dredged sediment as feeder stock in 3D printing. Beyond the mechanical processes of using dredged sediment for 3D printing, ERDC researchers are also pioneering pre- and post-processing methods to help determine the material’s feasibility for being safely reintroduced into the environment. These printed structures will be used to enhance habitat, infrastructure, sediment containment, and energy dissipation, among other benefits. Little data on these processes currently exists and ERDC is looking to close that knowledge gap. Watch to learn more.

The innovative team at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) hosted CERLCon24 – short for CERL Connection – recently. Featuring more than 80 presentations, posters and technical sessions, CERLCon aimed to foster critical connections between the laboratories world-class branches and teams. The three-day event brought together the CERL research and support community and built upon the foundation of collaboration built during CERLCon23, the first such event for the laboratory located in Champaign, Illinois. This video, which highlighted many of the laboratory’s facilities, capabilities, and talented and diverse workforce, kicked off the week’s festivities.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are working in support of ERDC’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Program to better inform efficient and economic dam safety monitoring by studying how the use of fully grouted vibrating wire piezometers compares to traditional methods. The geotechnical community has promoted fully grouted vibrating wire piezometer installations over conventional piezometers because of their ability to successfully monitor multiple zones within the same borehole. This method also requires fewer drilled holes, resulting in a reduced overall drilling cost. To accomplish their data collection, ERDC researchers worked in collaboration with the USACE Nashville District, which provided the test site, and the USACE Savannah District, which provided drilling equipment and expertise.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are working in support of ERDC’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Program to better inform efficient and economic dam safety monitoring by studying how the use of fully grouted vibrating wire piezometers compares to traditional methods. The geotechnical community has promoted fully grouted vibrating wire piezometer installations over conventional piezometers because of their ability to successfully monitor multiple zones within the same borehole. This method also requires fewer drilled holes, resulting in a reduced overall drilling cost. To accomplish their data collection, ERDC researchers worked in collaboration with the USACE Nashville District, which provided the test site, and the USACE Savannah District, which provided drilling equipment and expertise.

Lake Altoona, Wisconsin, faces a critical threat from sedimentation that could potentially turn it into a marsh within 20-30 years. Traditional dredging solutions have raised economic and environmental concerns for the Lake Altoona community. Researchers with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and engineers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District are working with the Lake Altoona District to test a bedload sediment collector that could offer an economical and environmentally sustainable option for this ongoing challenge. Watch the full implementation study video to learn how this innovative solution could be a game-changer for Lake Altoona and other similar environments.