Army Engineer District Research Articles

LITTORAL TRANSPORT MODELING FOR OCEAN BEACH AND SAN FRANCISCO BIGHT, CALIFORNIA

This paper presents the littoral sediment transport numerical modeling effort of simulating physical processes of high energy coastline, including inlet and coastal zone, at Ocean Beach and San Francisco Bight, California. The study site is dominated by strong tidal current and breaking wave-induced longshore current. The numerical models for waves, currents, water levels, and sediment transport are provided by the Coastal Modeling System developed at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center. The water level, current, wave, sediment, and bathymetric data collected by the US Army Engineer District, San Francisco, and USGS in recent years are assembled and utilized for model calibration and validation. One main effort of the study is to demonstrate the beneficial use of dredged clean material from the ship channel maintenance for onshore beach nourishment and nearshore berm placement at Ocean Beach to remediate the chronicle erosion threatening the structural integrity of the adjacent Great Highway. The modeling effort is intended to guide future dredging activities, dredged material placement site selection and evaluation, beneficial use of dredged material for nearshore and onshore beach nourishment for shore and beach protection. The model result can support and improve decision making for regional and local sediment management, enhance cross-mission benefit, and ultimately reduce the dredging project life-cycle costs.

Multidisciplined investigation to locate theKentucky shipwreck

A local artifact collector contacted the U.S. Army Engineer District, Vicksburg in the fall of 1994 concerning timbers from a ship protruding from the west bank of the Red River, Louisiana, during the summer of 1994. From historical records it was determined that the shipwreck is that of the Kentucky, which sank in 1865. An investigation integrating archaeological, geological, and geophysical methods was undertaken to determine the location, orientation, and depth of the wreckage. Based on site geology, the shipwreck is expected to lie within a silty sand deposit within 4–8.5 m below the ground surface. The results of probe investigations performed by the archaeologists and borehole data orient the long axis of the ship N57.5E. This orientation conflicts with the geophysical data, which suggest an orientation of N116W. The geophysical surveys identified an anomalous region, approximately 31 m long and 10 m wide, that borders the Red River and an abandoned channel of the Red River. The magnetometer data suggests that the bow of the ship is pointed toward the abandoned channel. This orientation contradicts historical records which have the bow pointing toward the modern Red River. A subsequent underwater investigation by the archaeological contractor discovered a rudder-related mechanism protruding from the bank of the Red River, confirming the geophysical prediction. All three scientific surveys agree that the wreckage is at a depth 3.8–8.5 m below ground surface and at an inclined position, with a downward slope from the bank of the Red River to the abandoned channel. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.*

Blueback herring respond to brief ultrasonic stimulus sounds

Captive schools of Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis) were subjected to 1-h long treatments of short 118-kHz sounds applied from a piezoelectric transducer submerged outside a vinylized canvas pen that was suspended in Richard B. Russell Reservoir on the Savannah River. In the experiments reported here, the effect on herring distrbution of 3.8-ms long bursts at 13 repetitions/s (5% duty cycle) was compared to the effect of both another 118-kHz sound treatment (with a different duty cycle but the same source level) and a sound-off treatment. Each experiment compared herring distributions in the pen with the three treatments applied in a cross-over design. The experiments lasted six days each with six 1-h treatments per day. All of the several combinations of pulse duration and repetition rate contained the herring near the end of the pen farthest from the sound source but hour-long continuous wave treatments produced only a brief startle response at stimulus onset. [Work supported by U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.]

Earth's Insights: A Survey of Ecological Ethics from the Mediterranean Basin to the Australian Outback. By J. Baird Callicott. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1994. xxiv + 285 pp. Notes, index. $35.00

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsEarth's Insights: A Survey of Ecological Ethics from the Mediterranean Basin to the Australian Outback. By J. Baird Callicott. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1994. xxiv + 285 pp. Notes, index. $35.00Ronald F. LockmannRonald F. Lockmann U.S. Army Engineer District in Los Angeles Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 1, Number 4October 1996 Published for the American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/3985282 © 1996 American Society for Environmental History and Forest History SocietyPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Environmental mitigation and the Upper Yazoo Projects

The US Army Engineer District, Vicksburg (CELMK), evaluated an array of flood control alternatives, which included up to 167 water control structures, 52 confined disposal facilities, and 47 borrow pits as part of a major flood control effort known as the Upper Yazoo Projects (UYP). Many of these project features are capable of ponding water and thus can be managed to mitigate for aquatic, terrestrial, waterfowl, and wetland resource losses expected to occur as a result of the UYP. The benefits to be derived will depend upon the land uses and management of the ponded areas. The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station developed procedures to quantify the cost and habitat benefits of the many management options for these sites. The mitigation strategy was derived by optimizing various combinations of land acquisition, reforestation, land-use change, and site hydrology so that the least-cost mitigation plan could be selected.

Comments on the teton dam failure: problems with the use of loess material in earth dam structures, by I. J. Smalley and T.A. Dijkstra

The premise of the paper by Smalley and Dijkstra is that loess is not suitable for use as a core material in an earth dam because it does not have the mineralogy and properties required for this application. As noted by Smalley and Dijkstra, the Independent Panel pointed out several design flaws in the Teton dam: (a) complete dependence for seepage control on a combination of deep key trenches filled with loess and a grout curtain; (b) geometric configuration for the key trench that encouraged arching, cracking, and hydraulic fracturing; (c) reliance on special compaction of the loess as the only protection against piping of materials into open joints in abutment rock; (d) inadequate provisions for collection and safe discharge of seepage, which inevitably would occur through the foundation rock and cutoff systems. The highly erosive character of loess is well known (Gibbs, 1962). The prevention of piping by a cracked core constructed of loess requires a proper downstream filter material. It has been documented that the use of concrete sand as a drain for loess will prevent piping (Sanchez, Strutynsky and Silver, 1983). Therefore, whenever loess is used as a construction material in an embankment dam (core, cutoff trench, etc.) a proper drain material must be provided. Many dams, for example Ririe Dam located about 20 miles from Teton Dam, have been constructed with a loess core and properly designed drains (US Army Engineer District, Walla Walla, 1969). Therefore, the authors' premise that loess is not suitable for use as a core material in an earth dam because it does not have the mineralogy and properties required for this application is debatable. Loess is an acceptable material when proper drains are provided.

A System of Engineering Geology Mapping Symbols

Research Article| January 01, 1977 A System of Engineering Geology Mapping Symbols RICHARD W. GALSTER RICHARD W. GALSTER Richard W. Galster is Chief, Geology Section, U. S. Army Engineer District, Seattle, Washington. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (1977) xiv (1): 39–47. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.xiv.1.39 Article history first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation RICHARD W. GALSTER; A System of Engineering Geology Mapping Symbols. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 1977;; xiv (1): 39–47. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.xiv.1.39 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract A simplified and universally applicable system is proposed, to be used for designating surficial deposits and types of bedrock on maps intended for use in engineering and environmental geology. The system combines a single capital letter designating origin of the deposit and one or more lower case letters symbolizing the lithology. Under special conditions qualifying symbols are added parenthetically where they apply. Mappable units having the same symbol are differentiated by a hyphen followed by an Arabic number. Bedrock types are symbolized simply by two capital letters. The system can be quickly memorized and appears readily adaptable for nearly all geologic areas and conditions. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Analysis of Recreational Use of Selected Reservoirs in California. V. S. Pankey and W. E. Johnston. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, California. July 1969. 42p

Analysis of Recreational Use of Selected Reservoirs in California. V. S. Pankey and W. E. Johnston. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, California. July 1969. 42p

STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF CONCRETE SHEET PILES WITH PLASTIC INTERLOCK

The use of prestressed concrete sheet piles is widespread due to ease of handling, esthetic quality, low maintenance costs, and great strength. In installations where the flow of water through the sheet piles or seepage of soil materials such as sand and silt is to be prevented, the joint between adjacent piles must be watertight. This is most commonly done by some form of grouting. During the period from October 1968 to January 1969, the Waterways Experiment Station, Concrete Division, conducted tests on prestressed concrete sheet piles incorporating a newly developed plastic interlock-waterstop. The purpose of the tests was to determine the structural limitations of the interlock and the feasibility of its use on various U.S. Army Engineer Division, Lower Mississippi Valley projects as a substitute for grouted concrete sheet piling or for steel sheet piling. The investigation was authorized by the U.S. Army Engineer District, New Orleans. The complete results of this investigation are published elsewhere*.

Future development of the San Francisco bay area 1960–2020. Economic Aspects of Comprehensive Survey of San Francisco Bay and Tributaries. Prepared and published for U. S. Army Engineer District, San Francisco Corps of Engineers, by Office of Area Development, Business and Defense Service Administration, U. s. Department of Commerce. Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D.

Future development of the San Francisco bay area 1960–2020. Economic Aspects of Comprehensive Survey of San Francisco Bay and Tributaries. Prepared and published for U. S. Army Engineer District, San Francisco Corps of Engineers, by Office of Area Development, Business and Defense Service Administration, U. s. Department of Commerce. Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D.