Consensus Study Report

Transportation Research Board Special Report 359

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This study was sponsored by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center under Contract No. W912HZ24C0014.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-60218-1
Digital Object Identifier: http://doi.org/10.17226/29328

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COMMITTEE ON FURTHERING THE DEVELOPMENT AND BENEFICIAL USE OF INNOVATIVE MATERIALS IN WATER RESOURCES INFRASTRUCTURE

DAVID A. DZOMBAK (NAE) (Chair), Hamerschlag University Professor Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University

W. WYNNE FULLER, President, Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway Association

E. BORA GENCTURK, Professor, University of Southern California

LIV M. HASELBACH, Professor, Lamar University

JEANINE HOEY, Consultant, Port of Pittsburgh Commission

EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR. (NAE), Professor, Arizona State University

CHRISTOPHER P. KNOTTS, Director, Neel-Schaffer, Inc.

LUNA LU, Professor, Purdue University

ALEKSANDRA RADLIŃSKA, Professor, Pennsylvania State University

DAVID P. RICE, Materials Science Subject-Matter Expert, Hepburn and Sons LLC

ABDUL-HAMID ZUREICK, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Study Staff

DYLAN T. REBSTOCK, Senior Program Officer, Consensus and Advisory Studies, Transportation Research Board (TRB)

BLAKE REICHMUTH, Associate Program Officer, Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics (BMSA), Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences (DEPS)

TIMOTHY B. MARFLAK, Program Coordinator, Consensus and Advisory Studies, TRB

THOMAS R. MENZIES, JR., Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies, TRB

Consultant

SARAH JO PETERSON, 23 Urban Strategies, LLC

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Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by R. RHODES TRUSSELL

(NAE), Trussell Technologies, Inc., and CRAIG PHILIP (NAE), Vanderbilt University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Acknowledgments

The committee’s report would not have been possible without the support and generous assistance of many individuals. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials and presenters during meetings and site visits were gracious with their time during and after the committee’s open meetings. The committee is especially grateful for timely responses to numerous follow-up questions. In particular, the committee would like to thank the many USACE staff members who assisted the committee: Pete Stynoski and Robert Moser, the technical leads from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC); Mark Ballentine, Alyssa Calomeni-Eck, Daniel Culp, Mike Edmond, Brian A. Eick, Travis Fillmore, Elton Freeman, Alan Kennedy, Zackery McClelland, Andrew McQueen, Mike Ott, Tim Resciniti, Matt Smith, James Stinson, Heather Theel, Mine Ucak-Astarlioglu, Justin Wilkens, and Stephanie Wood of ERDC; Joe Manous of the Institute for Water Resources; Lenna Hawkins, Eric Johnson, and Joe Stilwell of the Inland Navigation Design Center; Kerry Lowman of USACE Civil Works Asset Management; Vincent De Carlo, Adam Helffrich, Tammy MyersPutman, Alan Nogy, Kristin Schuler, Stephen Stoltz, and Marc Whitehead of the Pittsburgh District; Dan Cox and Brian Lucarelli of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division; Kenneth Darko-Kagya and Matthew Hunn of the Southwestern Division; and Tim Paulus and Michael Tarpey of the Civil Works Operations-Navigation Branch.

The committee would also like to thank Vince McMorrow, Scott Reeve, and Dustin Troutman of Creative Composites Group; Maureen E. Foley, William Manning, and Brandon Newsome of the U.S. Navy’s Naval

Sea Systems Command; and Mary Ann Bucci of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

The committee also thanks other staff members at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in addition to those listed on p. v) for their assistance on this project, particularly Lida Beninson, Karen Febey, Mark Hutchins, and Scott Brotemarkle of the Transportation Research Board; Michelle Schwalbe and Erik Svedberg of the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; and Monica Starnes, who departed the National Academies in June 2024.

Contents

PREFACE

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

SUMMARY

1 INTRODUCTION

Study Context

Study Approach

References

2 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS NAVIGATION AND FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT WATER RESOURCES INFRASTRUCTURE

Overview of USACE’s Water Resources Infrastructure

Civil Works Operations and Governance

Summary

References

3 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUDGET SYSTEM AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

O&M Budget Process

The Paradox of Funding Pilot Projects in Civil Works

Asset Management System

Guidance on Life-Cycle Strategies

Summary

References

4 INNOVATION IN MATERIALS AND MATERIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR WATER RESOURCES INFRASTRUCTURE: FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES

Opportunities for Innovative Materials: Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

FRP Deployments in the U.S. Navy

USACE Experience and Opportunities

Summary

References

5 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATIVE MATERIALS: HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

Overview of High-Performance Concretes

Examples from Other Domains

USACE Experience and Opportunities

Summary

References

6 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATIVE MATERIALS: 3D-PRINTED METALS AND CONCRETE

3D Printing of Metals

3D Printing of Concrete

References

7 OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER INNOVATIVE MATERIALS

Coatings

Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants and Self-Lubricated Materials

Anchorages in Concrete

Geosynthetics

Biogeotechnical Processes for Earthen Materials and Earthen Structures

Summary

References

8 BARRIERS TO AND DRIVERS FOR THE USE OF INNOVATIVE MATERIALS IN WATER RESOURCES INFRASTRUCTURE

USACE Barriers to the Use of Innovative Materials

USACE Drivers of Innovative Materials Deployment

Other Potential Drivers of Innovation: Learning from Other Domains

Summary

References

9 SUMMARY ASSESSMENT

Conclusions and Recommendations

APPENDIX: COMMITTEE MEMBER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

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Preface

In the Water Resources and Development Act of 2016, Congress expressed interest in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) expanding development and use of innovative materials in the water resources infrastructure managed by the USACE Civil Works program. Section 1173 of the Act directed USACE to sponsor a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the use and performance of innovative materials in water resources infrastructure.¹ Using a fiscal year 2023 appropriation, USACE commissioned this study consistent with the direction from the earlier act. In response, the National Academies formed a study committee of 11 members chaired by National Academy of Engineering member David Dzombak of Carnegie Mellon University. The members recruited to the committee represented a range of expertise and backgrounds in water resources infrastructure management, materials science and engineering, structural engineering, and engineering research and evaluation.

The study committee met seven times in meetings open to the public between August 2024 and March 2025. During these meetings, the committee was briefed by officials of USACE, experts in innovative materials from USACE and various other public- and private-sector organizations, and others who have an interest in the condition and performance of the nation’s water resources infrastructure. Meeting participants are listed in the Acknowledgments section of this report. One of the meetings included a visit to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center laboratories

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¹ Water Resources Development Act, § 1173 (2016). http://cdm16021.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll5/id/612/filename/613.pdf.

in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and another meeting took place at navigation lock and dam facilities operated by the USACE Pittsburgh District. The committee also held five meetings with closed sessions to deliberate and develop this report.

The committee was assisted in its work by many individuals and organizations and a group of eight expert reviewers of the final report. These individuals and organizations are listed in the Acknowledgments section of the report.

November 2025

Acronyms and Abbreviations