THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Transportation Research Board and Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Consensus and Advisory Studies Division
Marine Board
Committee on Furthering the Development and Beneficial Use of Innovative Materials in Water Resources Infrastructure
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Congressional Briefing
Monday, December 15, 2025 – 3:00 p.m.
via Zoom
on
Innovative Materials in Water Resources Infrastructure:
Opportunities for the Corps of Engineers
Dams, locks, and levees are critical to U.S. navigation, safety, and commerce—but many are reaching the end of or have surpassed their design lives. This new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, requested by Congress in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, P.L. 114-322, examined how innovative materials could help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintain, repair, and modernize this vital infrastructure.
The report explores the potential of fiber-reinforced polymers, high- and ultra-high-performance concretes, and 3D-printed materials to improve strength, resilience, and cost-effectiveness. The report identifies barriers to innovation and offers practical strategies for testing, demonstrating, and scaling up new materials as well as preparing the workforce to apply them.
This study was sponsored by the Department of Defense.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on Thursday, December 18, 2025 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.