Podcast episodes

#20: Operational Energy

Military operations require large amounts of energy to train, move and sustain forces, as well as to power weapons platforms – and this is known as operational energy. Given the high human toll and financial cost of supplying this energy to frontline forces, new strategies are seeking to electrify the battlefield and reduce the reliance…

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#19: Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations

Managing a reservoir is a delicate balancing act. If you keep too much water, there may not be enough storage capacity when heavy rains hit, increasing the risk for catastrophic flooding. If you release too much water, there won’t be enough to supply nearby residents who depend upon the reservoir for their survival. For decades,…

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#18: SandSnap

Knowing the size of sand grains on the nation’s beaches is important to many coastal management efforts. However, getting that information is labor intensive, and no nationwide database of sand grain size currently exists. To fill this void, ERDC has launched SandSnap, a collaborative effort to engage citizen scientists in a project that will build…

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#17: Modernizing the B-52 Through Supercomputing

Since entering service in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress has held strategic importance as the most combat capable bomber in the U.S. inventory. However, the newest B-52 dates to 1962, and it has become increasingly difficult to find parts to service its original engines. To keep this valuable aircraft flying, the Air Force embarked on a…

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#16: Invasive Fisheries

Invasive carp species pose a significant threat to native fisheries, disrupting ecological balances, inflicting economic harm and hampering recreational activities. One effort to mitigate this threat is focused on blocking these fish from entering the Great Lakes, where they could significantly disrupt a $7-billion fishing industry. Guided by ERDC research, a series of electric barriers…

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#15: Joint Planning Services

It can take months or years for the Department of Defense to develop strategic and operational plans, with people, information and tools often scattered and stove-piped into silos. ERDC researchers have been working to develop a digital map-based environment for remote collaboration in near real time, enabling faster and more complete military planning to support…

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#14: Airfield Damage Repair

Given the strategic importance of air power in military conflicts, airfields often become targets. With airfield expertise that dates to World War II, ERDC has a rich history of developing solutions to rapidly repair and sustain airfields. Today, ERDC develops material and equipment solutions, as well as construction procedures, to push current Airfield Damage Repair…

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#13: Permafrost Basic Research

Permafrost, or ground that has been frozen for at least two years, covers roughly a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere. And it is teeming with microbes, including many with unique characteristics that have allowed them to adapt to extremely low temperatures and survive for decades. As climate change threatens to thaw permafrost and revive these…

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#12: Structural Health Monitoring

Given the aging condition and economic importance of much of the nation’s navigation infrastructure, asset managers need accurate and real-time information on the conditions of structures operating well beyond their expected design lives. However, visual inspections of structures like locks and dams are often difficult and expensive. ERDC is filling this void with a broad…

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#11: Rescue Engineering

After a structural collapse disaster, the eyes of the public are intensely focused on search-and-rescue efforts. Less familiar is the work of a special team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) laboring behind the scenes to ensure the safety of those efforts. The USACE Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) program deploys specially trained…

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