Contractors working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District install a 23-foot-tall concrete shaft enclosure weighing approximately 120,000 pounds as part of the guard wall at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Nov. 16, 2023.

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Cloud-based Modeling Helps Engineers Predict Coastal Climate Impacts

Buffalo District
Published Nov. 28, 2023
Updated: Nov. 28, 2023
Employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stand together for a group photo in front of a mural.

Engineers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center teach coastal engineers at USACE Buffalo District how to use the FUNWAVE model to predict climate conditions along coastal areas, Buffalo, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2023. FUNWAVE, cloud based and using Department of Defense supercomputing power, will allow Buffalo District to model wave and climate conditions around shorelines at district project sights, enabling more thorough planning and design of projects. (U.S. Army photo by Ryan Campbell)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Coastal engineers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District are learning how an online model can help them design and build better structures to protect harbors across lakes Erie and Ontario.

Why it matters: With more shoreline than any other U.S. coast, infrastructure and property along the Great Lakes takes a beating from waves every year – especially in winter.

Understanding exactly how waves interact with wave-damping structures like breakwaters can help engineers make them more effective, saving time, resources, and taxpayer dollars.

What’s new: Scientists from the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center are teaching Buffalo District engineers how the FUNWAVE model can be used to defend the Great Lakes shoreline.

  • FUNWAVE is a numerical wave model Buffalo District engineers can use to rapidly screen different design options, even when climate conditions are uncertain.
  • ERDC centralized and cloud-based FUNWAVE, giving engineers across the country easy access to subject-matter expertise and Department of Defense supercomputing power to solve problems for local communities faster than ever.

Learn more:


Chick Lock

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