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Special operations outlook 2019 digital edition is here, engineer research and development center (erdc) overview, making the world safer and better.

By Wayne Stroupe - February 6, 2012

X-FLEX is an adhesive tape, similar to peel-and-stick wallpaper, that can shield people from wall fragments during a blast. It can be applied to interior walls quickly and easily. Here an ERDC technician applies one-quarter-scale X-FLEX to a one-quarter-scale brick wall for a blast test. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE ) research and development organization, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), is developing technologies that are making the world safer and better, today and tomorrow. From protective technologies that save our Soldiers’ lives to innovative technologies that save our environment to products that save our energy, ERDC impacts our military, our public projects, and our way of life.

ERDC is composed of seven laboratories in four states and nearly 2,500 research engineers, scientists, and support staff. ERDC projects touch all seven continents and the Arctic, with sites in more than 130 countries and all 50 states. ERDC’s presence is diverse and worldwide.

“Our research is solving some of the toughest challenges faced by our nation and military forces today,” said Dr. Jeffery Holland, ERDC director. “Our internationally recognized experts are dedicated to serving Soldiers and the American public through advanced science, technology development, testing, and fielding. In addition to our research capability, the combined knowledge and experience of our people makes us an unmatched national resource for technical assistance.”

Force Protection – Saving Lives

The remoteness of some U.S. outposts and bases across the globe makes building standard overhead cover challenging for warfighters. Heavy equipment or contract support may be unavailable. ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory developed the Modular Protective System Overhead-Cover (MPS-OHC) to protect against mortars and rockets. The MPS-OHC is a modular system that allows configuration flexibility to fit over a wide variety of critical assets/equipment. Assembly requires no heavy equipment or special tools. Protection is provided by a multilayered armor panel system under a lightweight sacrificial triggering layer. The MPS-OHC’s performance was evaluated through a series of full-scale explosive tests that simulated weapons and threats.

Full-scale explosive test of the Modular Protective System Overhead-Cover (MPS-OHC). The MPS-OHC provides overhead blast protection for soldiers in areas of operations where standard construction materials are unavailable. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

ERDC, with industry partner Berry Plastics Corporation, developed a blast-resistant adhesive tape, X-FLEX™, that applies like wallpaper and catches and holds wall fragments during an explosion to protect Soldiers. The tape is a polymer composite laced with reinforcing fibers. Fasteners are used at the top and bottom to make sure the tape remains in place during an explosion. X-FLEX is applied to the interior face of outside walls. Two people can cover a 10- by 10-foot wall in minutes. Another future potential application is to strengthen interior walls for structures located in high seismic zones.

Environmental Awareness for Sensor Employment

Many Army missions rely heavily on the wide variety of useful information remote sensors provide. These sensors use a wide spectrum of signal modalities: visible, infrared, acoustic, seismic, radio-frequency, chemical, biological, etc. ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory is bringing these diverse bits of data into a context that commanders can easily use in a product called Environmental Awareness for Sensor and Emitter Employment – EASEE. An object-oriented software framework, EASEE grabs common characteristics of battlefield problems involving multimodal signal transmission and sensing into reusable units of software code in the Java programming language.

EASEE contributions improve many military areas. EASEE is being extended to incorporate detection probabilities for moving platforms and to dynamically optimize use of such sensing assets as unmanned aerial vehicles. Upgraded optical/infrared models are also being added. An “uncertainty sampling layer” is being developed that evaluates the impacts of uncertainties in the weather and terrain on accuracy of the predictions. The EASEE OSPTool will be used to plan sensor layouts to protect combat outposts inhabited by 300 or fewer Soldiers. EASEE is being used by other military units to optimize sensor use in a wide variety of scenarios.

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U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Broad Agency Announcement

Propose r&d concepts for potential collaboration.

The  U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for various research and development topic areas: hydraulics, dredging, coastal engineering, instrumentation, oceanography, remote sensing, geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, soil effects, vehicle mobility, self-contained munitions, military engineering, geophysics, pavements, protective structures, aquatic plants, water quality, dredged material, treatment of hazardous waste, wetlands, physical/mechanical/chemical properties of snow and other frozen precipitation, infrastructure and environmental issues for installations, computer science, telecommunications management, energy, facilities maintenance, materials and structures, engineering processes, environmental processes, land and heritage conservation, and ecological processes. 

The following menu can be expanded to view details and submit pre-proposals to ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), Environmental Laboratory (EL), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), and Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL).

Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL)

ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) performs research in the areas of hydraulic structures such as locks, dams, outlet works, control gates, stilling basins, spillways, channels, fish handling systems, and pumping stations, flood control channels, navigation channels, riverine and estuarine hydrodynamics and transport processes, groundwater, hydrology; dredging-related equipment, and on coastal problems related to shoreline protection, beach erosion, navigation, sedimentation, Regional Sediment Management, inlet stabilization, and construction, operation and maintenance of coastal structures (breakwater, jetties, groins, seawalls, etc.).

Major areas of interest include coastal hydrodynamics (wind waves, tides, currents, wind related water levels); coastal sedimentation (longshore transport, inlet sedimentation); coastal geology and geomorphology; design and stability of coastal structures; erosion and storm reduction potential of natural and nature-based features; system optimization methods and performance metrics for coastal operations; coastal resiliency; and interaction of structures and coastal processes. Other activities include descriptions of coastal processes; theoretical studies; watershed and regional sediment and water systems studies; numerical and physical model techniques; data collection and analysis techniques; development of laboratory and prototype instrumentation and equipment.

View CHL research areas :

• Physical Processes in Estuaries (CHL-1)
• Inland Hydraulic Structures (CHL-2)
• Open Channel Flow and Sedimentation (CHL-3)
• Dredging Research (CHL-4)
• Navigation Channel Design (CHL-5)
• Computer-Aided Hydraulic Engineering (CHL-6)
• Groundwater (CHL-7)
• Hydrology (CHL-8)
• H&H GIS/Database Development (CHL-9)
• Coastal Hydrodynamics, Coastal Processes (CHL-10)
• Coastal Inlets, Navigation Channels (CHL-11)
• Coastal Structure and Facility Design (CHL-12)
• Field and Laboratory Measurements, Data Collection, and Analysis (CHL-13)
• Experimental Coastal Model Equipment, Operation and Analysis (CHL-14)
• General Coastal Engineering, Coastal Geology, Dredging Investigations (CHL-15)
• Regional and Watershed Sediment Management (CHL-16)
• Marine Transportation Technologies (CHL-17)
• Post-Wildfire Hydrologic, Sediment, and Geomorphologic Management (CHL-18)
• Nearshore Coastal Research in Support of the U.S. Coastal Research Program (CHL-19)
• Comprehensive Water Risk Management (CWRM) (CHL-20)
• Innovations in Sediment Management (CHL-21)
• Next Generation Water Management (CHL-22)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to CHL, contact [email protected] or Christine Wilson at 217-552-5258.

Geotechnical & Structures Laboratory (GSL)

ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) performs research in the areas of soil mechanics, engineering geology, geophysics and seismology, earthquake engineering, pavements (both expedient and permanent), mobility and traffic ability of military vehicles, structural design and performance of structures under both static and dynamic loadings, earth dynamics, and the uses and performance of concrete, cement, and other construction materials. Research areas also include measurement and analysis of seismic and acoustic signals to locate airborne and ground military targets and buried objects (including unexploded ordnance) and to characterize earth media. Research on concrete and cement is predominantly related to current recognized needs, both civil and military. Military expediency focuses additional attention on ease and speed of concrete placement, development of very high-strength materials, and use of non-traditional, indigenous, and other special materials in concrete construction. 

Civil works research focuses primarily on the need to improve the performance of both new and old concrete structures. Structures research involves development, testing, and evaluation of a broad class of structures to resist the effects of static and dynamic loads induced by earthquakes and other sources. GSL also conducts research involving all aspects for improving the survivability of fixed installations. Research in numerical modeling and computer simulation of many of these topics is also undertaken.

View GSL research areas :

• Earthquake Engineering (GSL-1)
• Geophysics (GSL-2)
• Mobility of Vehicles (GSL-3)
• Pavement Technology (GSL-4)
• Soil and Rock Mechanics (GSL-5)
• Dam Research (GSL-6)
• Engineering Geology (GSL-7)
• Excavation, Structural Demolition, and Obstacle Creation (GSL-8)
• Ammunition Storage Safety (GSL-9)
• Physical Simulation of Munition Phenomenology (GSL-10)
• Geophysical Phenomenology – Multi-Modal Geophysical Phenomenology, Modeling, Data Processing, and Data Management (GSL-11)
• Laboratory Tests and Constitutive Model Development for Geologic Materials (GSL-12)
• Projectile Penetration (GSL-13)
• Computational Structural Mechanics for DoD Applications (GSL-14)
• Concrete Materials (GSL-15)
• Concrete Properties and Analysis (GSL-16)
• Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Concrete (GSL-17)
• Other Areas of Materials Research (GSL-18)
• Bridge Research (GSL-19)
• Structures Research (Civil Works) (GSL-20)
• Structures Research (Military) (GSL-21)
• Multispectral Camouflage Research (GSL-22)
• Advanced Maneuver Technologies (GSL-23)
• Railroad Technology (GSL-24)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to GSL, contact [email protected] or Allison Hudson at 601-634-5337.

Environmental Laboratory (EL)

ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory (EL) conducts Military and Civil Works R&D for the Corps of Engineers, other Department of Defense elements, and other Government agencies in the general areas of Environmental Restoration (Clean-up) and Environmental Conservation. Areas of research include: (a) environmental sensing development, (b) hazardous waste site characterization and treatment, (c) sediment geochemistry and biological effects, (d) water quality modeling, and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Environmental Conservation deals with sustaining natural resources entrusted to DoD for continued use through improving and developing tools and technologies of fundamental and applied process level research, use of modeling and statistics for forecasting; all which conserve, protect, and enhance natural and cultural resources and foster stewardship. Areas of research include: (a) environmental database development; (b) environmental impact prediction, assessment, and management; (c) environmental criteria for stream channel alteration; (d) natural resource management, and animal movement behavior response to environmental (aquatic, terrestrial, aerial, social) patterns; (e) aquatic nuisance species management; (f)threatened and endangered species protection and management; (g) ecology, restoration, and management of plant communities in aquatic ecosystems; (h) water quality; (i) outdoor recreation; (j) cultural resources; and (k) ecosystem simulation.

View EL research areas :

• Sensing (EL-1)
• Environmental and Military Sensing (EL-2)
• Environmental, Sensing, Characterization, and Modeling (EL-3)
• Environmental Instrumentation (EL-4)
• Innovative Technology for Environmental Sensors and Tools (EL-5)
• Innovative Technologies for Treating Contaminated Sediment, Soil, Surface Water, Ground Water, and Hazardous Waste (EL-6)
• Design, Evaluation, Verification and Modeling of Solid and Hazardous Wastes and Contaminated Sediments (EL-7)
• Environmental Risk Assessment (EL-8)
• Sediment Water Interactions (EL-9)
• Techniques for Contaminated Dredged Material Disposal and Treatment (EL-10)
• Emerging Contaminants in the Environment (EL-11)
• Numerical Water Quality and Contaminant Modeling (EL-12)
• Complex Adaptive Systems (EL-13)
• Water Quality and Behavior Modeling (EL-14)
• Biotechnical Shore Stabilization (EL-15)
• Freshwater Fishery Investigations (EL-16)
• Freshwater Macro Invertebrate Investigations (EL-17)
• Mitigation (EL-18)
• In Stream Flow Requirements for Aquatic Biota (EL-19)
• Behavioral and Structural Fish Barriers (EL-20)
• Fish Guidance and Bypass Systems (EL-21)
• Coastal Ecology (EL-22)
• Techniques for Designing, Operating and Managing Dredged Material Disposal Facilities and Beneficial Use Projects (EL-23)
• Systems Biology, Computational Biology, and Bioinformatics for Environmental Impact Assessment (EL-24)
• Riparian and In Stream Habitat Restoration (EL-25)
• Assessing Benefits of Channel Modifications (EL-26)
• Natural Resources Stewardship (EL-27)
• Wildlife Resource Management (EL-28)
• Animal Movement Behavior (EL-29)
• Endangered Species (EL-30)
• Wetlands (EL-31)
• Ecological Trace Detection and Characterization (EL-32)
• Experimental Chemistry (EL-33)
• Computational Chemistry (EL-34)
• Aquatic Plant Control (EL-35)
• Aquatic Nuisance Species (EL-36)
• Prevention of Ecosystem Degradation (EL-37)
• Detecting and Predicting Ecosystem Health and Species Presence and Movement (EL-38)
• Management of Invasive/Nuisance Species, Threatened and Endangered Species, and Ecosystem Health (EL-39)
• Ecological Modeling (EL-40)
• Carrying Capacity (EL-41)
• User Fees (EL-42)
• Stakeholder Engagement with Technology Support (EL-43)
• Decision Analysis (EL-44)
• Resource Allocation and Adaptive Management (EL-45)
• Systems Analysis and Resilience (EL-46)
• Equity in Disaster Planning and Response (EL-47)
• Horizon Scanning and Technology Threat Assessments (EL-48)
• Biological Systems Assessment (EL-49)
• Cryptic Ground and Environmental Signatures (EL-50)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to EL, contact [email protected] or Sonia Boyd at 601-634-3251.

Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)

ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) conducts research, development, and studies and provides technical assistance and operational support in information technology (IT) and closely related fields, with particular emphasis on the areas of computer-aided interdisciplinary engineering, computer-aided design and drafting, building information modeling, computer-aided facilities management, computer science, high performance computing, advanced computer security, general-purpose computing, and sensor and instrumentation systems. These activities are conducted to support and enable execution of missions of USACE, the Army, and DoD.

View ITL research areas :

• Computational Science and Engineering (ITL-1)
• Software Engineering and Informatics (ITL-2)
• High Performance Computing (HPC) (ITL-3)
• Cybersecurity (ITL-4)
• High Performance Data Analytics (ITL-5)
• High Performance Computing (HPC) Enabled Additive Manufacturing (AM) Technologies (ITL-6)
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Models to Inform Materials Discovery (ITL-7)
• Edge Computing (ITL-8)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to ITL, contact [email protected] or Christy Love at 601-634-3445.

Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL)

ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) offers research and development (R&D) support, as well as technical assistance, to a variety of customers throughout the Department of the Army (DA) and other Government agencies. CERL is the lead Army facility for conducting R&D on infrastructure and environmental issues for installations. CERL’s research is directed toward increasing the Army’s ability to more efficiently construct, operate, and maintain its installations and ensure environmental quality and safety at a reduced life-cycle cost. To accomplish the mission, CERL has two Divisions: Facilities and Installations. Researchers in these Divisions are matrixed across the ERDC organization in multi-disciplinary teams that bring the best expertise to bear on solving problems for the Department of Defense.

View CERL research areas :

• Advanced Methods and Designs for Additive Construction (CERL-1)
• Advancing Army Installations to 5G Network Capabilities (CERL-2)
• Innovative Construction Material Systems (CERL-3)
• Innovative Energy Efficiency and Energy Security Initiatives (CERL-4)
• Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Advancements (CERL-5)
• Contingency Basecamp Operational Energy (CERL-6)
• Autonomous Robotic Solutions for Engineer Operations in the Deployed Environment (CERL-7)
• 4-D Printing of Geopolymer Composites or Polymer-Stabilized Soils (CERL-8)
• Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites for Infrastructure Applications (CERL-9)
• Innovative Antifungal Materials (CERL-10)
• Reserved (CERL-11)
• Geotechnical Scaled Physical Modeling at Normal Gravity (CERL-12)
• Novel Soil Stabilizing Agents (CERL-13)
• Integrated Water Security for DoD Installations (CERL-14)
• Biomimetic Polymers for Adaptive Material System (CERL-15)
• Critical Infrastructure Protection for Utility Systems (CERL-16)
• Infrastructure Management, Facilities Maintenance (CERL-17)
• Modeling and Simulation/Analysis Tools for Infrastructure Applications (CERL-18)
• Reserved (CERL-19)
• Global Warming Reduction Technologies or Studies (CERL-20)
• Structural Health Monitoring Technologies of Large-Scale USACE Civil Infrastructure in Aquatic Environment (CERL-21)
• Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring (CERL-22)
• Land Management (CERL-23)
• Waste to Energy Conversion Systems – Energy, Diversion, Value Recovery (CERL-24)
• Compliance at Troop Installations (CERL-25)
• Pollution Prevention (CERL-26)
• Business Process Reinvention (CERL-27)
• Socio-Cultural Analysis (CERL-28)
• Innovation in Extending Bacterial Viability (CERL-29)
• Adaptive Intelligence Systems Architecture (CERL-30)
• Insect Feature Characterization, Use, and Mimicry (CERL-31)
• Innovation in Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Detection and Characterization (CERL-32)
• Regional and Ecological Planning and Simulation (CERL-33)
• Reserved (CERL-34)
• Mitigation of Wide Area Biological Contamination Events (CERL-35)
• Reserved (CERL-36)
• Innovative Water Efficiency and Water Resilience Initiatives (CERL-37)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to CERL, contact [email protected] or Andrea Thomas at 217-373-6746.

Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory (CRREL)

The mission of ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) is to solve interdisciplinary, strategically important problems of USACE, Army, DoD, and the Nation by advancing and applying science and engineering to complex environments, materials, and processes in all seasons and climates, with unique core competencies related to Earth’s cold regions. As a national resource for cold regions science and engineering, CRREL promotes understanding to support mission success through the development and delivery of transformative technical solutions that meet operational challenges. Key technical areas of research and development include signature physics, terrestrial and cryospheric sciences, biogeochemical processes, environmental fate and transport geochemistry, force projection and sustainment, cold regions infrastructure, water resources/geospatial applications and hydrology and hydraulics.

View CRREL research areas :

• Signature Physics Technical Area (CRREL-1)
• Terrestrial and Cryospheric Sciences Technical Area (CRREL-2)
• Biogeochemical Processes in Earth Materials Technical Area (CRREL-3)
• Environmental Fate and Transport Geochemistry Technical Area (CRREL-4)
• Force Projection and Sustainment Technical Area (CRREL-5)
• Cold Regions Infrastructure Technical Area (CRREL-6)
• Water Resources Geospatial Applications Technical Area (CRREL-7)
• Hydrology and Hydraulics Technical Area (CRREL-8)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to CRREL, contact [email protected] or Melodie Fisher at 601-634-4687.

Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL)

ERDC’s Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) conducts research related to providing rapid collection, calibration, registration, processing, analysis, integration, compression, visualization, analysis, and dissemination of remotely sensed geospatial data acquired from various manned and unmanned sources to derive high fidelity spatiotemporal information. Multi-modal data is used to create integrated and tiered geospatial products for enhanced situational understanding based on forms and methods tailored toward dissemination to Warfighters and Civil Works applications.

Additional interest includes methods for terrain-based techniques for alternative positioning, navigation, and mapping capabilities in GPS-denied environments for mounted and/or dismounted units. GRL research efforts explore the incorporation of novel materials for tagging, tracking and locating; explores emerging lidar technologies, and the advancement of hardware and software systems related to geospatial intelligence.

View GRL research areas :

• Novel Photon-Counting LIDAR Software and Hardware Development (GRL-1)
• Photogrammetry & Rectification Software Tools and Techniques (GRL-2)
• Intelligent Spatiotemporal Analytics (GRL-3)
• Assured Position, Navigation and Timing and Visual Terrain Reference Navigation (GRL-4)
• Advanced Terrain Analytics in Complex Environments (GRL-5)
• Advanced Cyber Geospatial Science (GRL-6)

For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to GRL, contact [email protected] or Lashanda Areghan at 601-497-7771 ext. 1636.

This announcement is open until superseded by another announcement. Offerors may submit pre-proposals against any research area. Pre-proposals will be evaluated against the criteria stated in the announcement without regard to other submissions. The availability of funds may limit the ability of the government to make awards in specific areas, nevertheless, pre-proposals are sought for the stated research areas.

How to Participate

• Review the ERDC Broad Agency Announcement
• Review Pre-Proposal Guidelines above

System for Award Management (SAM) registration is required prior to submission to the ERDC Broad Agency Announcement.

Questions: For contractual questions concerning pre-proposals to ERDC, contact the personnel listed at the end of each topic area.

Submissions open until superseded by another announcement. Pre-Proposals may be accepted at any time.

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Engineer Research and Development Center Continues the Fight Against COVID-19

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Although the vast majority of employees with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center are Defense Department civilians, the select few soldiers assigned there are making a significant impact during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since March, soldiers from across the ERDC have deployed around the country to aid in the fight against the pandemic, many mobilizing to hotspots to confront the unique challenges of fighting an unseen enemy.

"It was important for ERDC's soldiers to be given the opportunity to help their nation," said Army Col. Teresa A. Schlosser, the commander of the ERDC. "So, we immediately began sending them out to help the affected [Army Corps of Engineers] districts and divisions when we saw the need."

Army 1st Lt. Eoghan M. Matthews had just begun his assignment at the ERDC's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, New Hampshire, when the pandemic broke. He was immediately sent to New York City to assist the Army Corps of Engineers New York District with construction of several alternate care facilities.

Working in a crisis like this is incredibly exhilarating. The urgency and the drive is fantastic — it's great being part of the solution." Army 1st Lt. Eoghan M. Matthews, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

The teamwork has been incredible, he said. "I arrived to a team that was already decisively engaged and was able to rapidly put me to use," he added. "Not being familiar with a conventional district, I got a crash course in the way that they operate."

During his deployment, Matthews contributed to the successful delivery of four alternate care facilities that served health care professionals and more than 1,000 patients in the New York metropolitan region.

"Working in a crisis like this is incredibly exhilarating," Matthews said. "The urgency and the drive is fantastic — it's great being part of the solution. Going into a situation like this and making things safer for the country is exactly what I signed up for."

ERDC's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, Illinois, deployed two soldiers to assist the Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division,  or LRD, and the Chicago District.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Corey K. Hill, a CERL associate technical director, served as project integrator and planner for the McCormick Place alternate care facility project in Chicago. The effort included coordinating construction support with state and city officials, McCormick Place staff, medical professionals and construction teams in order to outline requirements and finalize the project's design, which was completed well under the estimated cost. The undertaking was LRD's top priority, and Hill was recognized by Corps of Engineers senior leaders for his achievements.

Army Capt. Carolyn N. Ortiz-Merced, assigned to CERL, recently served as the battle captain in the emergency operations center with the Chicago District. Her job consisted of managing operations and gathering information from each of the five district projects for daily reporting and facilitating the district commander's daily command meetings. Her efforts directly contributed to the information LRD provided to Army Corps of Engineers leadership, as well as the updates given to federal, state and local partners.

Although Army Capt. Taylor D. Traversa, the financial management officer with ERDC, stayed close to home by deploying with the USACE Mississippi Valley Division's headquarters in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he experienced the Corps of Engineers' nationwide impact first-hand.

"[The Army Corps of Engineers] responded so quickly to the emerging threat of COVID-19 — which is unlike anything the nation has ever dealt with," he said. "I am amazed at their ability to balance a pandemic response while still handling flooding throughout the Mississippi Valley."

"When I joined the Army, I never imagined I would be working in an emergency operations center responding to a pandemic," Traversa continued. "This experience has taught me that [the Army Corps of Engineers] is filled with incredibly selfless individuals who sacrifice greatly to help protect the nation from all manner of threats."

For Army Capt. Patrick M. Border, from ERDC's Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, working with the Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division had its own challenges.

"South Pacific Division supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state and tribal governments in the fight against COVID-19," Border said. "Our site assessments identified potential locations for care facilities, and we constructed the best candidates. Most of our sites focused on high densities of COVID-19 patients or on very remote areas with limited hospital coverage."

"Despite this being a new type of disaster, as opposed to extreme weather events, the emergency processes stood up well," he said. "The dedication and expertise of our military and civilian teammates really stands out after weeks of extended hours with no days off. I'd absolutely want to work for [the Army Corps of Engineers] and be part of emergency responses after my active duty service."

(Carol Coleman is assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center.)

Spotlight: Coronavirus: DOD Response Spotlight: Coronavirus: DOD Response:  https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus/

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U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

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The Mission of the ERDC is to provide science, technology, and expertise in engineering and environmental sciences in support of our Armed Forces and the Nation to make the world safer and better.

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Driving innovation: NCAT's triennial Test Track Conference attracts asphalt industry leaders

Published: May 21, 2024 11:30 AM

By Allison Killingsworth

The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) hosted its triennial Test Track Conference May 7-9 at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. The event presented advancements in the design, construction, materials, maintenance and sustainability of asphalt pavements to over 300 industry professionals.   

Highlighting the latest findings from the 8 th cycle of accelerated pavement testing conducted at NCAT's Test Track, situated just 20 minutes east of Auburn University, the conference offered insights into the forefront of asphalt pavement research and development.  

Setting the Tone  

"Research means nothing if we do not implement," remarked Richard Willis, National Asphalt Pavement Association’s (NAPA) vice president of engineering, research and technology, setting the tone for the conference in his opening address. The conference encouraged participants to move beyond exploration and actively implement proven technologies—a sentiment that echoed throughout the event.  

With attendees from across the country and beyond, including representatives from Hawaii, Peru, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia, the conference served as a platform for knowledge exchange and networking within the asphalt industry. Among the participants were research sponsors, public agencies, contractors, asphalt paving associations, FHWA and various other asphalt professionals.    

“...the presentations revealed the depth, breadth and vastness of the different test sections/projects, the detailed and precise research parameters and the shared cooperation among so many different state and private organizations for a common and necessary goal were all so amazing,” stated Andre’ Jenkins Sr., assistant bureau chief, research at Alabama Department of Transportation. “The details of the presentations really impressed me. The NCAT staff were seamless and cooperative with everyone and everything that me, as an attendee, felt welcome and warm, just like I feel being a part of the Auburn family whenever I am on campus.”  

Paving the Way   

Throughout the conference, attendees explored a myriad of topics, spanning from mixture additives to innovative pavement design methodologies. Research engineers from NCAT delivered presentations on recycling agents, innovative mix additives, crack prevention interlayer strategies, high polymer binders, cold recycling, pavement preservation treatments and more.   

Benjamin Bowers , assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at Auburn University and an NCAT researcher presented engaging information on cold recycling, balanced mix design and Life Cycle Assessments of asphalt pavements.     “This conference brings together all walks of asphalt-life, from agencies to industry, to hear about the research we’ve been conducting and discuss implementable outcomes,” Bowers said. “I love that I now get to stand on stage as an Auburn University and NCAT representative to talk about the impactful work my team is doing for VDOT, TDOT, FHWA and our industry partners. I love the energy that the conference brings along with the community.”  

Test Track Tour      

A highlight of the conference was the opportunity for participants to inspect the 1.7-mile test track , which features 46 200-foot test sections funded by highway agencies and industry sponsors.     

NCAT operates five semi-tractor trailers on the test track for 16 hours a day, five days a week to reproduce similar traffic levels and stress a typical interstate highway would experience in 5 to 7 years, or 10 million equivalent single axle loads (ESAL’s).      

This unique real-world laboratory allows researchers to collect and analyze field performance data, pavement responses and laboratory test results for plant-produced mixtures sampled during construction.  

“Being able to see, in-person, how the test sections have performed makes the experiments more meaningful,” said Randy West, director of NCAT. “Conference participants get to see the cracking, feel the textures of the surfaces and see open trenches of sections to observe how damage progresses, is part of the experience that makes this conference unique.”  

Road To Progress  

Since its inception in 2000, the test track has been instrumental in assisting agencies in refining asphalt pavement specifications and shaping mix design policies. The research conducted at the test track continues to yield dividends for many agencies.   

With its unique ability to simultaneously test multiple instrumented asphalt pavements under natural environmental conditions with accelerated loading, the Test Track stands as a beacon of innovation and excellence in asphalt research.    

Established in 1986 through a collaboration between Auburn University and the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s Research and Education Foundation, NCAT was founded to address the needs of maintaining America's pavement infrastructure through practical research and development initiatives. The center’s mission is to provide innovative, relevant and implementable research, technology development and education that advances safe, durable and sustainable asphalt pavements.  

For more information about NCAT and its research initiatives, visit https://eng.auburn.edu/research/centers/ncat/.  

Attendees during tour of NCAT Test Track

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Inflation-Adjusted Federal R&D Obligations Expected to Decline for Second Year from FY 2021 High

May 20, 2024

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Total federal R&D obligations: FYs 1951–2023

Gross domestic product implicit price deflators (2017 = 1.00000) were used to adjust current dollars for inflation. The federal fiscal year cycle changed in FY 1977, from 1 July–30 June to the current 1 October–30 September cycle; no data were collected for the 3-month transition period of July–September 1976. FYs 2009 and 2010 obligations include additional funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Beginning in FY 2016, development obligations were more narrowly defined as "experimental development,” most notably excluding Department of Defense Budget Activity 7 (Operational System Development); thus, data from FY 2016 on are not directly comparable with previous years. FYs 2020–22 obligations include additional funding provided by supplemental COVID-19 pandemic-related appropriations.

R&D obligations data from National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development. Gross domestic product implicit price deflators from Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2025 .

Federal obligations for research and development (R&D) in FY 2022 rose 0.4% to $190.4 billion, up from $189.6 billion in FY 2021; FY 2023 obligations are expected to decline 2.1% to $186.4 billion based on preliminary estimates. Adjusted for inflation, however, FY 2022 R&D obligations totaled $163.1 billion, down 6.1% from the FY 2021 high of $173.8 billion. Obligations for FY 2023 are expected to decrease a further 6.4% in constant dollar terms, to $152.7 billion—a decline of 12.1% from FY 2021.

Suggested Citation: Pece CV ; National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2024. Inflation-Adjusted Federal R&D Obligations Expected to Decline for Second Year from FY 2021 High. NSF 24-324. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf24324 . 

Source Data & Analysis

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