Location: Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit
Project Number: 3070-13000-014-014-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2023
End Date: Aug 1, 2024
Objective:
This Agreement will provide funding for the cooperator as required to support ARS with the “Development of Engineering Tools, Design Guidance Documents, and Computational Software for Monitoring, Inspecting, and Rehabilitating Aging Dams” (60-3072-0-001) project as it relates to the parent project: “Development of a Monitoring Network, Engineering Tools, and Guidelines for the Design, Analysis, and Rehabilitation of Embankment Dams, Hydraulic Structures, and Channels" (3070-13000-014-00D). The Cooperator will assist ARS with
1) writing and revising guidance documents including but not limited to completing revisions and finalizing the National Engineering Handbook (NEH) Chapter on Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Stepped Spillways, completing draft of NEH Chapter on Plunge Basins for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff to review, and reviewing literature and starting a draft of hydraulics of two-way covered risers.
2) developing a cloud-based database network for reservoir and levee monitoring including creating data pipelines from off the shelf and newly developed IoT based sensors to the ARS PDI Geoevents servers,
3) developing an application programming interface (API) that can be used to transfer data collected through this project to collaborators and stakeholders (in coordination with the ARS Partnerships for Data Innovations, PDI, team),
4) establishing the framework for a dam monitoring network including software development for data collection, management, and transfer (in coordination with the ARS PDI team),
5) developing and/or modifying GIS based tools for dam monitoring and inspection (in collaboration with the ARS PDI team),
6) exploring instrumentation and automation for dam monitoring and inspection and assisting with deployment of sensors in the field,
7) developing and delivering outreach materials (e.g., training curriculum in various formats - webinars, workshops, hands-on learning, videos, field demonstration days; communications - social media, web content, popular press, videos) for a multitude of stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds and diverse demographics (e.g., ages and nationalities),
8) developing a decision support informatics platform to facilitate communications between researchers and stakeholders (in collaboration with the ARS PDI team) including gathering data, documents, and information for processing by Artificial Intelligences (AI) technology (e.g., ESRI Linguistic Analysis Repository software),
9) managing information and training request workflows as they are received by outside parties, and
10) collaborating with other federal and university partners on project objectives
This collaborative effort will provide key information for enhancing and developing engineering tools like the dam inspection app and those for stepped spillway and plunge basin design. The deliverables will include revising guidance documents, training materials, data collection apps, and developing a cloud-based framework for database management and information sharing as they relate to establishing a dam monitoring and inspection network.
Approach:
The Cooperator will partner with ARS to assist on the defined objectives. Specifically, the Cooperator will provide technical support and expertise for 1) revising and writing guidance documents; 2) working with the USDA ARS PDI team to develop and deploy a cloud-based dam monitoring network framework including the development of digital data management, analysis, storage, visualization and sharing/distribution tools; 3) exploring instrumentation and automation for dam monitoring and inspection and assisting with deployment of sensors in the field; 4) delivering outreach materials through various formats (e.g., training - webinars, hands-on learning, workshops, videos, field demonstration days, communications - popular press, videos, social media and web content); 5) managing workflows as information and training requests are submitted by outside parties; 6) gathering data, documents, and information for procession by AI technology; 7) contributing to a communications plan related to the PDI decision support informatics platform dam management network; and 8) collaborating and recognizing other federal and university partners on project objectives.
