Eleven at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center have received the 2009 Army Research and Development Achievement Award.

It recognizes scientific or engineering accomplishments that directly affect the Department of the Army. The honor is awarded each summer based on committee recommendations, and can be given to individuals and teams. About 1 percent of Army researchers receive the award in a given year, said an ERDC news release, and ERDC employees and teams have been winning the award since 1967.

The winners, who will be recognized at the next Army Science Conference in 2011, are:

• Dr. John Peters of the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory for his project, Revolutionary Experimental and Theoretical Characterization of Mechanical Behavior of Granular Materials. It aids in the prediction of the engineering behavior of granular media materials.

• Peters and Joshua Fairley, both of the GSL; Dr. Stacy Howington of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory; Jerrell Ballard Jr. of the Environmental Laboratory; and Dr. Owen Eslinger of the Information Technology Laboratory for their project, Automatic Target Recognition Algorithm for Countermine Computational Testbeds. The technology has given the U.S. Department of Defense greater flexibility in combating terrorism and increasing personnel safety.

• Dr. David Gent, Dr. Steven Larson, Deborah Felt and Jared Johnson, all of the EL, for their project, Development of Primary Treatment Technologies to Remove RDX from an Industrial Wastewater Stream. The technology was developed for Holston Army Ammunition Plant in      Kingsport, Tenn., and allows the removal of RDX, an explosive, from ammunition plants into industrial water. The project has cut costs by 83 percent.

• Dr. Kurt Gust of the EL for his project, Discovery of Mechanisms of Action Underlying Acute Neurotoxic Effects of RDX Exposure in the Model Avian species Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginanus). The technology provides a high resolution, biologic model for understanding the potential adverse effects of the common Army range contaminant, RDX, in birds. The result has been better protection of the species.

• Larson of the EL and Dr. J. Kent Newman of the GSL for their project, Biostabilization of Soils. The research targets the use of bacteria to manufacture soil stabilizers. The technology shows promise as environmental remediation for range facilities and has potential to impact earthquake and environmental protection, levee construction, foundations and dust control.

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com