U.S. Military’s Joint Rapid Airfield Construction Program

摘要

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) initiatedrna new military research effort in 2001 known as the Joint Rapid AirfieldrnConstruction (JRAC) program. The JRAC program involves over twentyrnprincipal researchers from three ERDC laboratories, over thirty integratedrnresearch projects, scheduled research funds in excess of 20 million dollars, andrntwo major field demonstrations during the seven-year research plan. Thernprimary objective of this important research program is to developrnmethodologies and materials for rapidly upgrading existing or constructingrnnew contingency airfields with the lowest logistical footprint possible. ThernJRAC program is designed to meet this objective by 1) integrating advancedrnterrain analysis technologies and performance prediction modeling to optimizerncontingency airfield site selection, 2) utilizing emerging commercial soilrnstabilization technologies to rapidly provide contingency airfield surfacesrncapable of sustaining mission operations, and 3) exploiting new constructionrntechnologies to enhance airfield construction productivity.rnThis paper provides summaries of the background, current researchrnefforts, and projected goals of the JRAC program. Discussions of “spin-off’rntechnologies useful to civil airports and other construction industries are alsornpresented. Since the JRAC program seeks to exploit new and emergingrntechnologies within the private sector, it is hoped that this paper will generaterncritical exchanges of information and perhaps foster important industry andrngovernment partnerships in the near future.