Corpstruction

You probably never think about this product but it’s nearly impossible to travel anywhere in modern-day United States without encountering it at some point in your journey.

Whether you use personal, public, or private transportation the odds of you going anywhere without it are relatively low.

Our host, Brannen Parrish, visited the Fears Laboratory at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma and observed testing on concrete beams.

On this episode of Corpstruction, he interviewed Dr. Royce Floyd an engineering professor whose focus is on testing concrete, and Omar Yadik, an engineering student about their findings. OU engineers are making some fascinating discoveries about how corrosion, weather and other elements impact the strength of construction industry’s most prolific product.

They also discuss how these findings could affect critical infrastructure down the road.

Blake Cannon of the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Real Estate Division visits to discuss available public land leases for agricultural and grazing purposes. Cannon also talks about the programs managed by the Real Estate Division at the district as well as the 1.8 million acres of public land the district is charged with managing. Approximately 60 percent of that land is out-granted or leased.

The notices of availability are at the Tulsa District Public website at https://www.swt.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Notices-of-Availability/.

The bid openings will take place at 2 p.m. on October 6, 2021. The Pre-bid conference will begin at 1:30 p.m. on October 6, 2021. All bids must be in before the start of the bid opening.

Available properties are:

Fort Gibson, Oklahoma NOA DACW56-9-22-005

John Redmond, Kansas NOA DACW56-9-22-003

Newt Graham L&D, Oklahoma NOA DACW56-9-22-004

Tenkiiller, Oklahoma NOA DACW56-9-22-001

Texoma, Oklahoma NOA DACW56-9-22-006

Wister, Oklahoma NOA DACW56-9-22-002

Ranger Matt Sexton of the Lake Eufaula Project Office talks about being a park ranger at the largest lake in Oklahoma. Sexton is originally from North Carolina and moved to Oklahoma to work for the Tulsa District.

Sexton talked to us about boat docks, recreation and working at his dream job.

Tulsa District engineer, Levi Rundell is working on the Eufaula Dam bridge replacement project. Rundell talks about the Ultra High Performance Concrete being used to practically "weld" concrete panels together. When completed the Eufaula Dam bridge will have the highest concentration of Ultra High Performance Concrete in the State of Oklahoma. Rundell also provided an update about expected reopening of the roadway.

Christopher Strunk of the Tulsa District recently returned from a deployment in support of the rescue and recovery mission at the Champlain Tower collapse in Surfside, Florida.

Strunk is the Chief of Military and Interagency International Services, Design and a former Senior Structural Engineer and Subject Matter Expert, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He oversees Interagency and International Service projects for the Tulsa District.

In November 2018, a tornado struck Elk Creek and Snake Creek Campgrounds on Tenkiller Lake in Oklahoma. The tornado caused considerable damage. Less than two months earlier, Dennis Covey had taken over as the new lake manager for Tenkiller which includes more than 11,000 surface acres of water and much more land. In 2019, the Tenkiller Lake Office found itself in the middle of a flood fight that lasted the entire summer. The COVID pandemic struck in 2020 and caused additional delays to repair work. Covey talked to us about the campgrounds, where they are in the process and when he thinks they might reopen based upon the current conditions.

WELCOME TO CORPSTRUCTION, A PODCAST ABOUT THE MISISONS OF THE TULSA DISTRICT U S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

IT’S FRIDAY, JULY SIXTENTH TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND THIS IS THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP WHERE WE GO OVER THE MAJOR NEWS EVENTS AND ISSUES IN THE TULSA DISTRICT.

LETS START WITH A TALK ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES.

THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS TAKING ACTION TO COMBAT THE DECLINING POLLINATOR POPULATION AND THE TULSA DISTRICT IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT EFFORT.

POLLINATORS ARE SPECIES THAT TRANSFER POLLEN BETWEEN PLANTS. BELIEVE IT THAT INCLUDES BEES, BIRDS, BEATLES, BUTTERFLIES, BATS, WASPS AND EVEN FLIES.

AT KEYSTONE LAKE THE STAFF ARE CREATING AN AREA FOR POLLINATORS BY REMOVING INVASIVE VEGETATION LIKE JOHNSON GRASS AND EASTERN RED CEDAR AT BRUSH CREEK CAMPGROUND.

AT OOLOGAH LAKE, RANGER RANDI CLIFTON IS DEVELOPING A ONE ACRE POLLINATOR HABITAT NEAR BLUE CREEK CAMPGROUND

IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH PHILLIPS 66 THE KAW LAKE OFFICE HAS ESTABLISHED VARIOUS POLLINATOR FIELDS. THE TULSA DISTRICT’S LAKE OFFICES HAVE DEVELOPED ABOUT EIGHT ACRES OF WILDLFLOWER FIELDS TO REVERSE

AT MARION RESERVOIR, THE STAFF ARE PLANTING POLLINATOR STRIPS FIVE FEET WIDE BY UP TO 120 YARDS LONG TO CREATE MORE DIVERSE VEGETION.

AT CANTON LAKE RANGER JOHNNIE DUDLEY INCORPORATED SEVERAL ACRES OF WILDFLOWER SPECIES INTO THE DESIGN OF THE NEW DISC GOLF COURSE THERE. AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS RANGER DUDLEY AND THE LAKE OFFICE STAFF SEEDED NATIVE WILDFLOWERS IN AND AROUND THE BORDERS OF THE COURSE. AMONG THE WILDFLOWER MIX IS GALLARDIA, ALSO KNOWN AS INDIAN BLANKET, FIREWHEEL AND SUNDANCE WHICH ATTRACTS POLLINATORS LIKE BEES AND BUTTERFLIES.

COLONEL SCOTT S. PRESTON, TULSA DISTRICT COMMANDER AND TODD KILPATRICK DRAINAGE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER FOR TULSA COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT 12, SIGNED A DESIGN AGREEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW USACE TO COMMENCE WITH PRE-ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN PHASE OF THE TULSA WEST TULSA REPAIR PROJECT.

THE TULSA DISTRICT’S PROJECT DELIVERY TEAM CAN DESIGN THE TULSA WEST TULSA LEVEE REHABILITATION PROJECT. IN 2020 THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED AND RECOMMENDED FOR INCLUSION INTO THE USACE WORK PLAN BY THEN CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, LIEUTENANT GENERAL TODD SEMONITE.

SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THE REPAIR PROJECT FOR THE NEARLY 80 YEAR OLD LEVEE INCLUDE: 11.3 MILES OF FILTERED BERM WITH A TOE DRAIN, A TWO THOUSAND FOOT CUT OFF WALL AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF FIVE PUMP STATIONS.

TULSA DISTRICT’S HERO OF THE WEEK IS LINDSEY BYFIELD, A CONTRACTING SPECIALIST HERE. BYFIELD EXECUTES A VARIETY OF COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING PROJECTS AND PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS FORTHE ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SECTION.

ARE YOU A CONTRACTOR INTERESTED GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS WITH A TULSA DISTRICT PARK OR AGENCY OR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT? VISIT WWW.SAM.GOV TO SEARCH FOR CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES.

TWO OF THE TULSA DISTRICT’S KANSAS LAKES ARE EXPERIENCING HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT HAS PLACED MARION LAKE IN MARION KANSAS AND BIG HLL LAKE IN CHERRYVALE, KANSAS UNDER HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM WARNINGS. AS A RESULT ALL SWIM BEACHES AT MARION RESERVOIR AND BIG HILL LAKE ARE CLOSED.

WHEN LAKES ARE UNDER AN ALGAE BLOOM WARNING IT MEANS HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ARE EXPECTED OR PRESENT.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS VISIT THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT WEBSITE AT K D H E K S DOT G O V.

HERE ARE THE CURRENT RECREATION CLOSURES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND.

STARTING WITH THE KANSAS AREA:

AT COUNCIL GROVE LAKE SOME SITES AT CANNING CREEK PARK, SANTA FE TRAIL AND NORTH RICHEY COVE ARE CLOSED.

AT JOHN REDMOND LAKE THE DAM SITE LOW WATER BOAT RAMP IS CLOSED

OTTER CREEK IS CLOSED. THE BOAT RAMPS AT HICKORY CREEK EAST, HICKORY CREEK WEST AND HARTFORD ARE CLOSED.

AT FALL RIVER LAKE, DAM SITE EAST IC SLOSED.

AT MARION LAKE ALL SWIM BEACHES ARE CLOSED DUE TO BLUE GREEN ALGAE

COTTONWOOD POINT HAS SEVERLA CAMPSITE CLOSURES DUE TO FLOOD DAMAGES AND ELECTRICAL REPAIRS.

HILLSBORO COVE ALSO HAS SEVERAL SITE CLOSURES.

OVERLOOK IS OPEN BUT RESTROOMS ARE CLOSED.

AT BIG HILL LAKE THE SWIM BEACH IS CLOSED DUE TO BLUE GREEN ALGAE WARNING.

IN OKLAHOMA:

AT KEYSTONE LAKE WHITEWATER OFFROAD VEHICLE AREA AND DAMSITE ARE CLOSED. FOR DOWNSTREAM CONTSTUCTION. BRUSH CREEK CAMPGROUND IS CLOSED. AT WASHINGTON IRVING THE BOAT RAMP AND SITES ONE THROUGH 16 ARE OPEN.

AT LAKE TENKILLER SNAKE CREEK AND ELK CREEK CAMPGROUNDS REMAIN CLOSED FROM TORNADO DAMAGE.

At FORT GIBSON LAKE MALLARD BAY IS CLOSED TAYLOR FERRY BEACH IS CLOSED. TAYLOR FERRY NORTH AND TAYLOR FERRY SOUTH ARE PARTIALLY OPEN. WAHOO BAY IS CLOSED.

AT BIRCH LAKE TWIN POINT COVE IS CLOSED.

AND AT BIRCH COVE SITES 25 TO 31 AND 85 TO 91 ARE CLOSED.

DOWN AROUND THE RED RIVER AT

LAKE TEXOMA RECREATION CLOSURES INCLUDE AS OF TODAY

THE LAKESIDE PARK BOAT RAMP IS CLOSED ALONG WITH SEVERAL CAMPSITES WITHIN THE PARK

AT EAST BURNS RUN THE BOAT RAMP AND SEVERAL CAMPSITES ARE CLOSED.

BOAT RAMPS AT WEST BURNS RUN, JUNIPER POINT EAST, PLATTER AND CANEY CREEK ARE CLOSED.

THIS CONCLUDES THE RECREATION CLOSURE ROUNDUP.

AS WITH ALL WATER PROJECTS THE SITUATION IS FLUID AND MAY CHANGE. FOR RESERVATION INFORMATION CONTACT THE RECREATION DOT GOV WEBSITE OR CONTACT THE LAKE OFFICE DIRECTLY.

A LIST OF LAKE OFFICE PHONE NUMBERS IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW DOT SWT DOT USACE DOT ARMY DOT MIL.

THE CORPSTRUCTION PODCAST IS A PRODUCTION OF THE TULSA DISTRICT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE.

THIS EPISODE WAS WRITTEN, AND PRODUCED BY BRANNEN PARRISH.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TULSA DISTRICT AND THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW DOT SWT DOT USACE DOT ARMY DOT MIL

YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US VIA OUR WEBSITE OR BY FOLLOWING US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHICH INCLUDE FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKED IN AND INSTAGRAM.

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

Interview with Dr. David Williams Tulsa District Chief of Hydrology and Hydraulics Engineering

Dr. David Williams, chief of Hydrology and Hydraulics Engineering Branch, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers talks about water releases during floods and the variety of missions his branch oversees. The Hydrologists, Engineers and Technicians in H&H, ensure reservoir water managers know how much water is entering the reservoir, how much water is downstream of the dams and how much water they need to release during storms and flood events.

Adam Smith, Jeffrey Stevens and Daniel Morales of the Dam Safety Production Center, Southwestern Division, sat down with Brannen Parrish of the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the Veterans Administration Hospital project at Muskogee, Oklahoma.

The Dam Safety Production Center works out of the Tulsa District but is assigned to the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and provides support to other districts in the Southwestern Division and throughout the USACE.

The engineers discussed various topics including civil engineering, structural engineering and geotechnical engineering. They also talked about how engineering and construction work have changed through the years.