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5 Engineering
Pages 87-97

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From page 87...
... In contemporary engineering practice, analytical methods and project evaluation are embodied in mathematical modeling. Although there are many dimensions to Corps engineering practices-from civil design, to hydraulics, to ecosystem intervention, to construction, and even to large-scale physical models of river reaches and coastal works -- mathematical models represent the contemporary embodiment of analytical methods and, thus, the nexus of this chapter's discussions.
From page 88...
... The WES is the oldest and largest major Corps research facility, established in response to the Mississippi River flood of 1927. Started as a hydraulic modeling laboratory for river works studies, principally on the Mississippi and its tributaries, WES today undertakes broad research on both civil works and military engineering.
From page 89...
... Over the past four decades, HEC has developed computer applications for flood frequency forecasting, flood routing, sedimentation transport, flood hazard risk analysis, and other engineering problems, that have become industry standards in Corps projects and in the private sector. The ERDC has been useful in many ways, offering specialized technical expertise not only to the Corps, but also to the academic and professional communities associated with various Corps activities.
From page 90...
... The primary role of engineering in decision making is in developing technical analyses and evaluations that are based largely on assumptions that aid in the eventual development of project alternatives. Engineering assumptions usually govern the project cost portion of benefit-cost analysis, which lends itself to close scrutiny, especially on controversial Corps projects.
From page 91...
... In order to support Corps planning in the future, it will be essential to develop models more fully, or perhaps develop model suites, linked to a common data base that more fully evaluate groundwater and surface water interactions, and that are capable of simulating a system for an extended period of time, rather than for a single rainfall event. Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport Hydrodynamic models address the various intricacies of the coastal zone, including wave generation, development, propagation, and resulting processes.
From page 92...
... Systems Approaches and Perspectives Water resources projects have become ever more complex and interconnected. For example, navigation, flood control, and ecosystem restoration projects on the Upper Mississippi River merge into one another geographically and create engineering, economic, and environmental impacts that cannot be separated from one another.
From page 93...
... These systems engineering issues are not unique to the Corps or even to water resources projects, and they arise in all aspects of large government and private sector projects. Given the Corps' traditional engineering and planning strengths and its national prominence, it is in position to aggressively pursue the development of systems engineering and economic planning methods that could benefit planning activities in natural resources management in the Corps and the federal government.
From page 94...
... This approach uses probabilistic methods, combined with statistical analysis of historical streamflows and stages and geographic information systems, to quantify the uncertainties associated with estimates of water heights and resulting property damage. The risk analysis approach has now become part of the National Flood Insurance Program levee certification procedure jointly conducted by the Corps and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
From page 95...
... . Although the Corps has been aggressive in developing risk-based methods of analysis for flood damage reduction studies and certain studies of navigation projects, methodological developments are needed (1)
From page 96...
... They would refer to issues associated with the design, installation, and maintenance of systems that make use of natural materials; to the size and strength of a structure used within the restored area; to engineering adaptations affecting fluvial geomorphology; and to other engineering methods that lend themselves to treatment in a technical manual. Corps designs are generally influenced by a tradition of protecting people and property, where the consequences of failure are costly to human health and safety; in contrast, in restored areas the consequences of failure may be less dramatic.
From page 97...
... Engineering 97 Far too many talented public servants are abandon ing the middle levels of government, and too many of the best recruits are rethinking their commitment, either be cause they are fed up with the constraints of outmoded personnel systems and unmet expectations for ad vancement or simply lured away by the substantial dif ference between public and private sector salaries in many areas. Support from the administration and Congress for the Corps to recruit and retain well-qualified staff, to be able to hire staff from outside the agency, and to create realistic and rewarding career advancement paths, will all be important to the Corps as it addresses twenty-first century engineering and planning challenges.


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