IED Crater Repair for Enduring Route Remediation
Department
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Major
Architectural/Civil Engineering
Research Advisor
Myers, John
Advisor's Department
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Funding Source
Leonard Wood Institute (LWI)
Abstract
Recent road repairs performed in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed several deficiencies in current repair techniques. Temporary solutions such as aggregate backfill were unacceptable due to the ease of emplacement of additional explosive devices. Additionally, asphalt repairs were easily penetrated with common hand tools to place improvised explosive devices (IEDs) where tampering was difficult to recognize. Concrete patches proved to be short-term solutions, as hasty concrete repairs deteriorated under traffic, providing access for additional IED placement. While traditional concrete placement exposed repair units to enemy attack due to extended material production and cure times. As a result this investigation is being conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to determine the most promising rapid-setting material alternatives for capping IED crater repairs. This research makes use of the standard test methods and the required vehicle load rating to provide recommendations for selection of rapid-hardening materials and equipment for conducting repairs that will reopen routes to traffic within 30 minutes to 1 hour of repair.
Biography
Travis is a senior majoring in Architectural and Civil Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is the son of Bob and Beckie Hemsath of St. Charles, Mo. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society), Chi Epsilon (civil engineering honor society), Phi Kappa Phi (honor society), Kappa Mu Epsilon (mathematics honor society), Institute of Transportation Engineers, and American Concrete Institute. After graduation Travis plans to work as a consultant in pursuit of his PE.
Research Category
Engineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Award
Engineering poster session, Third place
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
07 Apr 2010, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
IED Crater Repair for Enduring Route Remediation
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Recent road repairs performed in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed several deficiencies in current repair techniques. Temporary solutions such as aggregate backfill were unacceptable due to the ease of emplacement of additional explosive devices. Additionally, asphalt repairs were easily penetrated with common hand tools to place improvised explosive devices (IEDs) where tampering was difficult to recognize. Concrete patches proved to be short-term solutions, as hasty concrete repairs deteriorated under traffic, providing access for additional IED placement. While traditional concrete placement exposed repair units to enemy attack due to extended material production and cure times. As a result this investigation is being conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to determine the most promising rapid-setting material alternatives for capping IED crater repairs. This research makes use of the standard test methods and the required vehicle load rating to provide recommendations for selection of rapid-hardening materials and equipment for conducting repairs that will reopen routes to traffic within 30 minutes to 1 hour of repair.
Comments
Joint project with Matthew Struemph