SERDP has sponsored the development of a simple, engineering model of mobility, burial, and re-exposure of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and UXO-like objects for several years. Several SERDP-funded investigators are contributing to this development through a wide range of in situ and laboratory measurements of the important processes involved and the development of environmental predictions.
In situ measurements are challenging, especially in the dynamic environments close to the beach. To collect useful data requires extensive instrumentation, clever experimental design, and a measure of luck to have the instruments emplaced during high-energy weather events.
This year’s SERDP Project of the Year team developed “smart”, mock munitions, and collected detailed measurements of surrogate munitions mobility, burial, and potential re-exposure on the beach face while simultaneously quantifying the governing hydrodynamic and sediment transport process.
Dr. Jack Puleo’s measurements provide much needed data on the bed processes and munitions mobility occurring near the shoreline that will be used in the prediction of munitions mobility. The project team has collected an enormous amount of data and they have been very generous sharing these data and their expertise with other SERDP researchers in this area. All project CAD drawings, sensor designs for the “smart” munitions, extensive experimental plans, and quality-controlled data are available on the University of Delaware supported Munitions Response Server for use by the Munitions Response community.
For this important work, Dr. Jack Puleo and his team received the 2018 SERDP Project of the Year Award for Munitions Response.
Project Team:
- Dr. Jack Puleo – University of Delaware
- Ms. Demetra Cristaudo – University of Delaware
- Mr. Ben Gross – University of Delaware
- Dr. Brittany Bruder – Army Corp of Engineers
- Mr. Gene Fabian – U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
- Mr. Carl Johnson – U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
- Mr. Steve McClung – U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
Photo by Ben Zweig
