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Power of ERDC

Power of ERDC

By: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
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Satisfy your curiosity and learn how some of our country’s smartest engineers and scientists are solving many of the toughest challenges facing the nation and the Warfighter. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is comprised of seven research laboratories across four states, and one of its greatest strengths is its ability to combine the expertise from multiple laboratories into powerful, cross-disciplinary projects. Each month, we dive into one of these complex problems across its broad civil works and military mission space and ask ERDC’s world-class researchers about how they are discovering, developing and delivering practical cutting-edge solutions that make the world safer and better.Copyright 2026 Power of ERDC Political Science Politics & Government Science
Episodes
  • #63: Accelerating port assessments for contested logistics

    #63: Accelerating port assessments for contested logistics
    Jun 16 2026
    In contested operations, ports are no longer assumed to be available, secure, or fully functional. They are high-risk nodes that can be degraded, denied, or destroyed, placing immediate pressure on logistics timelines and mission execution. Dr. Aaron Byrd, ERDC research civil engineer, is advancing how the Army addresses that challenge. His work centers on developing digital tools that provide planners with immediate access to global port data and the ability to rapidly assess infrastructure performance under uncertain conditions. The Port Operations Rating Tool (PORT) integrates worldwide port characteristics into a smart web-based platform, allowing planners to evaluate throughput, identify constraints, and make data-driven decisions in real time. The System for Port Expeditionary Assessment and Repair (SPEAR) builds on that capability by enabling rapid assessment of port capacity against repair timelines, transforming analysis that once took weeks into decisions made in minutes. Together, these tools reduce reliance on vulnerable infrastructure, support identification of alternate ports, and enable faster deployment of engineering assets. The result is a more resilient logistics network and increased speed of global force projection in contested environments. On this episode, Byrd explains how PORT delivers accessible, integrated port intelligence for planning and execution (5:02); how SPEAR reduces throughput assessments from weeks to minutes (11:21); and how both tools enable identification of resilient logistics hubs and alternate ports to sustain operations in contested environments (14:24). Visit PowerofERDCPodcast.org/63-accelerating-port-assessments-contested-logistics_resources for more information. Watch a video of this podcast at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/63-accelerating-port-assessments-contested-Logistics_video.
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    28 mins
  • #62: Advanced Materials: Novel polymer research unlocks unique properties

    #62: Advanced Materials: Novel polymer research unlocks unique properties
    Jun 8 2026
    From energy absorption to temperature resistance to self-healing, polymers hold vast potential. ERDC is combining its historic materials expertise with cutting-edge polymer research to unlock unique properties for the Warfighter and the nation. ERDC’s work is enabling advanced materials with diverse military and civil works applications, such as stopping projectiles, resisting corrosion and visualizing shockwaves. On today’s episode, we discuss ERDC’s advanced materials research with Dr. Travis Thornell and Dane Wedgeworth, both research physical scientists at ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory. Topics include how ERDC’s polymer science research has grown over the past decade (1:06) and some its biggest success stories (9:32), how that research builds on ERDC’s deep expertise in materials (3:44), and the advantages of using polymers for civil works and military projects (13:00). We also discuss ERDC’s current materials science research (16:09), including a project that invented a new 3D-printable material for electronics (22:18) and another that developed a polymer material capable of visualizing shockwaves (24:25). Visit PowerofERDCPodcast.org/62-advanced-materials_resources for more information. Watch a video of this podcast at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/62-advanced-materials_video.
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    38 mins
  • #61: ERDC collaboration with industry is accelerating operational energy capabilities

    #61: ERDC collaboration with industry is accelerating operational energy capabilities
    Jun 2 2026
    Modern military command and control units demand an unprecedented amount of power in the field, pushing traditional fuel resupply lines to their logistical limits and risking Warfighter lives. To confront this challenge, and overcome the risk to life and equipment, the Department of War and ERDC are accelerating the development of operational energy sources to ensure mission success and find significant cost savings. In this episode, Dr. Jess Lyons, a research scientist with the Operational Energy Team at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, explains how ERDC is leveraging industry partnerships to rapidly develop, ruggedize, and field-test innovative operational energy systems that provide reliable power, cut fuel consumption and costs, and better serve our Armed Forces. Topics include a look at power demands for today’s command and control units (1:39); the real logistical, financial and human cost of current operational energy systems and resupply efforts (3:07); and an overview of the hybrid energy systems produced by industry partner LEMA currently being tested and deployed (10:03). We also discuss ERDC’s role in testing and ruggedizing these systems (14:41), the critically important feedback from military personnel in advancing new technologies (16:52), and why the demand for these operational energy systems has increased so rapidly in recent years (27:38). For more information, visit PowerofERDCPodcast.org/61-Frontline-Energy-Systems_resources. Watch a video of this podcast at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/61-Frontline-Energy-Systems_video.
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    34 mins
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