Abstract: A mat for covering soil comprising a lower fabric layer, an upper fabric layer superimposed over the lower fabric layer, and a water absorbing material interposed between said lower fabric layer and upper fabric layer. The mat contains tubular segments containing fabric and hydraulically setting cement. The cover, when wetted, becomes ballasted by the absorbed water and the tubular elements harden to form rigid ribs that hold the mat in conformity with the surface of the underlying soil.

Abstract: A biofilter reactor includes a housing, an axial pipe rotatably supported in the housing and including a plurality of perforations that open into the interior of the housing for collecting a treated fluid. The axial pipe includes an outlet in communication with the interior thereof for removing the treated fluid from the housing. A porous medium is disposed about the axial pipe and is rotatable therewith. The porous medium is made of a microbial foam.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment permits the safe navigation of a channel or harbor by a ship. A preferred embodiment includes a ship-borne system having a first global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a second fixed reference station with a GPS receiver. Both GPS receivers have GPS signal receiving antennas. Earth orbiting satellites of the GPS maintain communication at both locations via the two receive antennas. A broadcast radio transmitter at the reference station transmits a received GPS signal to the ship-based GPS antenna for receipt by the ship's separate radio receiver and processing by a computer. Using known navigation chart information on the water depths within a body of water, channel or harbor, known marine surveyor data, including the phase center of the ship-borne GPS receive antenna, and the two separately received GPS signals, the ship's keel clearance referenced to a known chart datum is calculated at one second intervals.

Abstract: Filter elements for draining wastewater into the soil in leach fields comprise net sacks filled with scrap rubber or plastic chips and supplied with fabric filter cloth. Leach fields are constructed by excavating trenches, placing a first row of filter elements at the bottom of the trenches, installing a drain pipe on top of the row of filter elements, placing a second row of filter elements on top of the first row and the drain pipe, overlapping the pieces of filter cloth to provide a barrier to the surrounding soil, and backfilling the trench with soil.

Abstract: A method of forming low lead leaching foamed concrete is provided. The method includes the step of dry mixing cement with a suspending agent to form a dry mixture. Water is mixed with a fine aggregate to form an aqueous mixture. The dry mixture is mixed into the aqueous mixture to form a slurry. Calcium phosphate is mixed into the slurry until all constituents are throughly distributed throughout the resulting mixture. The density of the resulting mixture is determined and an aqueous foam is added to the resulting mixture until the density of the resulting mixture is reduced to a desired level. Fibers are mixed into the resulting mixture until the fiber is distributed throughout the final mixture. The final mixture is placed into a mold. The mixture is allowed to harden and cure.

Abstract: A method for measuring depths of a waterway, including the steps of determining nautical chart vertical reference values along a selected waterway, building a data base of the reference values and storing the data base in a computer accessible from the vessel, providing a radio receiver onboard the vessel and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment accessible from the vessel, and operating the computer, radio receiver, and GPS equipment to continuously obtain positions of the vessel horizontally, and computations as to depth of the vessel above a pertinent vertical reference value.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and monitoring scouring around a structural mer uses time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to measure the level of sediment around a submerged portion of the structural member such as a bridge pier, dock, utility crossing, or similar structure. The apparatus includes a time domain reflectometer which transmits a series of electrical pulses, a sensor which is connected with said time-domain reflectometer, and a signal analyzer which receives and interprets the portion of the electrical pulses reflected back to the source from an interface, such as water/air or water/gravel, to calculate the position of the interface along the sensor. Knowledge of the position of the interfaces before and after a scouring event and of the dielectric constant of the surrounding media allows the user to detect and monitor the level of erosion caused by scouring.

Abstract: A well assembly device comprises an outer tubular sleeve with a first end and second end. An inner tubular member has a first end and a second end, and the inner tubular member is disposed within the outer tubular sleeve. The inner tubular member includes a screened portion at its second end. A tip is frictionally secured to the second end of the outer tubular sleeve, so that the outer tubular sleeve and the tip may selectively disengage.

Abstract: Dry sand is "rained" or pluviated into a receptor container used in the sy of soil mechanics. A supply vessel in the shape of an open-top rectangular box has four vertical side walls, a perforated bottom tray, and a slidable perforated tray in contact therewith, whereby sand flows by gravity from the supply vessel through perforations in the stationary and slidable trays and "rains" or pluviates into the receptor container when the slidable tray is in the "open" position, and sand is blocked from flowing from the supply vessel with the slidable tray in the "closed" position.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and monitoring scouring of a bed of sediment bath a body of water uses time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to measure the level of sediment adjacent to underwater sensors. The apparatus includes an electrical pulse generator which produces and intermittently transmits a series of electrical pulses along a permanent transmission line arranged adjacent to the area of concern, a timer to measure the travel time of the pulses within the transmission lines, a transmitter for transmitting a radio signal corresponding to the travel times of the pulses, a receiver for receiving the signal, and a signal analyzer which interprets the signal to determine a measurement of scouring. Knowledge of the position of the interfaces before and after a scouring event and the dielectric constants of the surrounding media allows the user to detect and monitor the level of erosion caused by scouring.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling the level of liquid in a closed cainer includes a block for mounting at an upper end of the container, a lower level electrode for extending from the block vertically into the container, an upper level electrode for extending from the block vertically into the container and shorter than the lower level electrode, a valve for venting gas from the container, and a motor for driving the valve. Electric circuitry is responsive to liquid in the container rising to a free end of the upper level electrode to activate the motor to close the valve to increase gas pressure in the container to force lowering of the level of the liquid, and further electrical circuitry is responsive to the liquid in the container dropping below a free end of the lower level electrode to activate the motor to open the valve to vent the container and reduce gas pressure therein to permit rising of the liquid level.

Abstract: A bullet comprises a lead sheet and a zinc foil fixed to the lead sheet, the sheet and foil being rolled and pressure formed into a bullet having generally helical layers of the lead sheet and zinc foil. The bullet exhibits an improved environmental impact on soil, relative to all-lead bullets.

Abstract: A scour probe assembly comprises an elongated rigid tubular member of eleically insulative material, an anchoring structure fixed to a distal end of the tubular member, and a signal transmission device mounted on the tubular member. A pair of substantially parallel electrically conductive sensor lines are fixed to an external wall of the tubular member and extend along at least a portion of an axial length of the tubular member from a closed proximal end toward the distal end and extend through the closed proximal end to an interior of the tubular member. Electronic components are disposed in the interior of the tubular member and are interposed between ends of the sensor lines in the interior of the tubular member and the signal transmission device mounted in the tubular member.

Abstract: A mounting device for pressure transducers comprises a housing with two cbers separated by an acoustic filter/heat sink. A blast shield having at least one opening allows communication between the measured environment and the first chamber and provides protection to the acoustic filter/heat sink film blast particles and flame. The acoustic filter/heat sink comprises a plurality of tortuous paths through a material having a high thermal conductivity and high specific gravity. The pressure transducer is located in the second chamber and is mounted on a thermally insulating mounting plate. The tortuous paths provide attenuation of high frequency, high amplitude pressure transients, cools the medium entering the filter due to the pressure transient and protects the transducer from corrosive particles and aerosols.

Abstract: The invention is a processor based analysis system with appropriate interface that includes multiple fish surrogates that each have a plurality of piezoelectric and triaxial accelerometer sensors for emulating sensory organs of a particular fish. The multiple fish surrogate array is immersed in flowing water intakes of a hydraulic structures such as intakes, intake bypasses, and diversion structures, and natural geological formation such as riffles, shoal areas, and pools. The invention is an interface system for data acquisition analysis and perspective display of acoustic and fluid dynamic data in or near these hydraulic structures and/or natural formations. To accomplish this, multiple sensors in each of the fish-shaped surrogate physical enclosures that form the array are deployed at the same time to describe a fish's aquatic environment at the hydraulic structure location.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a direct push small diameter fluorescence ased penetrometer system for performing in situ spectral analysis on subsurface liquid or gaseous samples. The invention is configured to collect liquid or gaseous analyte samples within the penetrometer's sample chamber through a port that is juxtaposed to a heating element that accelerates the separation of volatile chemical materials from the soil matrix. Fiber optic cables are linked to surface mounted real-time data acquisition/processing equipment from the sample chamber. The penetrometer sampling device is also equipped with a standard penetrometer electric cone sensor module containing cone and sleeve strain sensors that are used to calculate soil classification/layering in real-time during penetration.

Abstract: A data acquisition apparatus that includes a recorder device of an event's ime and date signified by the opening of an external trigger switching circuit in combination with a complimentary interrogator device for collecting data from the recorder device. The recorder device's components comprise a battery powered source with a power regulator, a processor, a dip-switch identifier, a programmable read only memory, a clock/ calender with random access memory, a timing/control subcircuit interface that connects to the external trigger switching circuit(s) and an output interface port for data transmissions with the interrogator device. The recorder's timing/control subcircuit interface extends battery life by sensing and transmitting electrical pulses through each external trigger switching circuit. The interrogator device is portable and has multiple functional capabilities.

Abstract: The water/sediment interface in a body of water near bridge piers and simr structures exposed to scour, is sensed and transformed by a frequency-modulated continuous wave method into an audio frequency signal that is related to the water/sediment interface elevation, which is transmitted by radio signal to a remote monitoring station. Radio signals received at the monitoring station are transmitted to a computer, which is programmed to compute the water/sediment interface elevation and to store such computed results for later use. A remote monitoring station may be equipped to monitor several water/sediment interface sensors.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a floating breakwater structure in the pe of a "V". This breakwater design allows for a wide range of wave periods, unlike previous floating breakwaters. The construction of the instant invention is that of a suspended curtain which deflects and redirects the waves that are incident thereto rather than absorb or reflect incoming wave energy. This design results in a substantially smaller structure with reduced mooring loads. Moreover, the floating breakwater of the instant invention allows for fast deployment that can be either shipped in sections and assembled on site or assembled in sheltered waters and towed to a site for deployment. The breakwater of the instant invention is intended for temporary coastal operations such as military force projection and sustainment, dredging, coastal civil construction and repair, oil spill recovery, and search/rescue relief missions.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the presence, location, and extent of the moise in a roof using metallic time-domain reflectomerry (TDR) includes an electrical pulses, a transmission line embedded within the roof and connected with the pulse generator, and a signal analyzer which interprets the electrical pulses transmitted along the transmission line. When the transmission line is exposed to moisture, the dielectric constant of the transmission line changes, thereby causing a portion of the energy of the transmitted pulse to be reflected back toward the source and a portion to pass through to the end of transmission line. The distance from the source and the length of the dielectric discontinuity are determined by analyzing the round-trip travel time of the reflected pulse.