US Army Corps of Engineers Grant: Enhancing Infrastructure with Engineering With Nature® and Landscape Architecture Designs

Background:

EWN is the intentional alignment of natural and engineering processes to efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental and social benefits through collaborative processes. In turn, sustainable development of water resources infrastructure is supported by solutions that beneficially integrate engineering and natural systems. With recent advances in the fields of engineering and ecology, there is an opportunity to combine these fields of practice into a single collaborative and cost-effective approach for infrastructure development and environmental management. For more information, please visit: www.engineeringwithnature.org.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)’s coastal navigation assets include: 1,067 navigation projects, 19 lock chambers, 13,000 miles of channels, 929 navigation structures, and 844 bridges. USACE inland navigation assets include: 27 inland river systems, 207 lock chambers (at 171 lock sites), and 12,000 miles of inland river channels. Many of the structures associated with these assets are in need of repair or replacement. Numerous coastal storm risk management (CSRM) and flood risk management (FRM) studies/investigations are conducted throughout the United States on an annual basis. Where applicable, support from researchers associated with the EWN initiative identify innovative strategies that include use of natural and nature-based features (NNBF) as a priority intervention or as part of broader, systems approach that integrates NNBF with traditional infrastructure.

This FOA seeks potential investigators with the expertise needed to integrate EWN and LA practices/methodologies. Successful applicants should have expert knowledge and work experience in landscape architecture. Specifically, the successful LA investigator(s)’ experience should include, but not be limited to, the following: EWN, types of coastal and riverine infrastructure, natural infrastructure design/placement, nature-based solutions, beneficial-use of dredged sediment, natural and nature-based features (NNBF), and incorporating human-use benefits into infrastructure projects as well as CSRM and FRM studies/investigations.

Brief Description of Anticipated Work:

The following objective summarizes the work for a maximum of two (2) unique, stand-alone projects. Over the life of the cooperative agreement (5 years), it is anticipated that 10 projects would be completed.

Objective: Develop innovative designs that incorporate EWN and LA approaches into existing or newly proposed Corp infrastructure and/or CSRM or FRM studies/investigations. The successful LA investigator(s) will work with ERDC researchers to develop innovative designs that incorporate EWN and LA approaches for CSRM and FRM studies/investigations. If applicable, completely new designs and renderings (in lieu of integrating into existing infrastructure) maybe produced in order to advance the overall purpose of this research project and demonstrate use of alternatives to the existing (or originally proposed) structure(s). LA investigators are expected to provide the figures, pictures, and/or design renderings that showcase the improved infrastructure projects. Project designs will be incorporated into reports and journal articles to be published as USACE technical notes and technical reports as well as in peer-reviewed literature.