2026 MVD RCIP ACM Industry Day presentation.pdf

Articulated Concrete Mattress Industry Day Regional Channel Improvement Program (RCIP) and

Role of Articulated Concrete Mattress (ACM)

17 September 2026 U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Vicksburg, Mississippi

US Army Corps Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Time Event 0800-0900 Registration / ERDC Meeting Building Open 0900–0910 Welcome, Purpose & Industry Day Objectives

0910–0920 Lower Mississippi River Mission & Regional Perspective

0920–0940 The Regional Channel Improvement Program & Role of ACM

0940-1000 Current ACM Capability & Production Model

1000-1015 Break 1015–1035 Future ACM Environment: Requirements, Funding & Automated Mat Casting Facility 1035–1135 Structured Industry Discussion & Q&A 1135–1145 Closing Remarks

Industry Day Agenda

LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER

MISSION AND REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Mississippi Valley Division Memphis District Vicksburg District New Orleans District 3

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

The Lower Mississippi River

• The Mississippi River Basin or Watershed drains 41% of continental United States.

• Basin produces 92% of the nation's agricultural exports, 78% of the world's exports in feed grains and soybeans, and most of the livestock and pork produced nationally.

• Port of South Louisiana is one of the largest volume ports in the United States, representing 500 million tons of shipped goods per year.

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Managing the River and System

• Channel Meandering

• Minimal levee systems

• Populations threatened

• Property destroyed

• Unreliable navigation and commerce

• Disruption of agricultural production

• Endangered natural habitats

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

The Challenge: A Dynamic River

Great Flood of 1927 27,000 Square Miles Inundated 700,000 People Impacted 500 Deaths Economic Damages = $1 Billion

Flood Control Act of 1928 & Subsequent Acts Signed on May 15, 1928

(13 Months After the First Levee Breach)

Comprehensive Navigation and Flood Control Project (Mississippi River and Tributaries – MR&T) Nations first comprehensive flood control and navigation plan Largest flood control project in the world Levees and Floodwalls Floodways and Backwater Areas Channel Improvement and Stabilization Features Tributary Basin Improvements (Subsequent Acts)

MR&T Value to the Nation

$22.1 Billion Federal Invested since 1928 $2.7 Trillion Flood Damages Prevented since 1928; $289B in 2025 124 to 1 return on every $1 invested 4.1M people protected 589M tons of cargo moved annually with $6.2B savings domestic transportation in 2025

THE REGIONAL CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

& THE ROLE OF ACM

Mississippi Valley Division Memphis District Vicksburg District New Orleans District 7

Of Engineers ©

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Mississippi River & Tributaries – Regional Channel Improvement

• Regional Channel Improvement Program (RCIP) is a Mississippi Valley Division Program executed across Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans Districts as part of the larger MR&T system.

• RCIP manages the Lower Mississippi River to support safe, reliable navigation and provide flood risk management.

• River structures/dikes, revetment, dredging, and other features must work together to manage the river as an integrated system.

• RCIP is regional capability supporting an enduring national mission on the Lower Mississippi River.

Dike Construction Clearing and Snagging

Dredging Bank Grading

Mat Sinking

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Channel Improvement Purpose

Provide a safe and reliable navigation channel (NAV), flood risk management (FRM), environmental sustainability, and other benefits.

Location:

• Mississippi River: 955 River Miles from the Ohio River confluence to Head of Passes (Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T))

• Covers 3 USACE Districts (Memphis, Vicksburg, New Orleans)

Flood Risk Management (FRM):

• Stabilize banks, i.e. Revetment

Navigation (NAV):

• Maintain 9’ depth x 300’ width Channel

• Efficient flow characteristics i.e. Dikes

• Mainstem Dredging (MR&T)

432 Rail Cars + 12 Locomotives

One 30 Barge Tow

2,100 Large Semi Tractor Trailers

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Why Revetment Matters

• Bank Stabilization started in the 1920s with willow tree mattress

• First line of defense for levees

• Over the last century USACE has performed various revetment techniques

• Current process in place since 1940s

• Trials and testing have revealed that ACM is the most effective/proven form of revetment (2011 Flood)

Fun Fact “Adjusting to the River’s

Needs” Willow mattresses constructed in the 1930s remains in service today.

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Funding levels, technology, production methods, and execution approaches may change, but the requirement to stabilize and manage the river remains.

An Enduring Requirement

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Where Articulated Concrete Mattress (ACM) Fits

• Stabilizes riverbank into favorable alignment

• Shields overbank areas (levees, towns, etc.)

• 1,199 miles of MR&T project bankline protected

• Mattress of 18” X 48” X 3” thick concrete blocks with stainless steel fabric

• Precast at 3 locations, assembled on-site

CURRENT ACM CAPABILITY

& PRODUCTION MODEL

Mississippi Valley Division Memphis District Vicksburg District New Orleans District 13

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

The ACM Product

25’

4’

3”

Scarf BoxesEnd Loops

• One block is 0.05 cubic yards of concrete, 4’ x 18” x 3”

• Wire mesh and concrete forms are currently provided by the government in a separate supply contract

• A square is made up of 16 blocks using the government supplied wire mesh

• Blocks currently stacked 13 high

BLOCK

WIRE MESH

SQUARE

Fun Fact “Adjusting to the River’s Needs”

The new Automated Casting Facility will incorporate a climate-controlled curing chamber to accelerate the mattress curing process.

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Traditional ACM Casting

• Current ACM production includes ACM casting contracts at three fields located along the Mississippi river.

• The ACM transported to the Mat Sinking Unit (MSU) where it is emplaced along designated portions of the river.

• The current casting contracts are a mix of Contractor Owned, Contractor Operated (COCO) and Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) components (i.e. gov’t supplied wire mesh and forms).

• While the government owns the land where casting fields are located and the forms, and operates the loading unit, casting contractors own the specialized casting equipment.

• All ACM casting occurs outdoors which requires seasonal casting, and creates high vulnerability to weather and climate

Batch Plant

Concrete Forms

Wire Mesh

ACM Stacks

ACM

Of Engineers ©

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Regional ACM Production Footprint

• Three existing mat fields are Richardson

Landing, TN (Memphis), Delta, LA (Vicksburg) and St. Francisville, LA (New Orleans)

• Casting Fields are government-owned and located adjacent to the river

• In the past, there were nine different fields with the current three designated in 1980s/90s

• USACE mission constantly evolves with the river system and adjusts to the river’s needs

Fun Fact “Adjusting to the River’s Needs”

During the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consolidated its casting-yard operations, reducing the number of facilities from six to the current three

Fields Closed in 1980s/90s

Current Casting Fields

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Loading Operations

Fun Fact “Adjusting to the River’s Needs”

After recapitalizing upon the Mat Sinking unit, Bank Grader, and casting process, the loading unit one of the next top priorities for recapitalization.

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Towing and Placement Operations Fun Fact

“Adjusting to the River’s Needs” During the 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers operated two mat-sinking units, supported by associated equipment, with an average daily production capacity exceeding 5,000 squares

Mat Sinking Unit Mat Sinking Unit

Mat Sinking Unit

FUTURE ACM ENVIRONMENT:

REQUIREMENTS, FUNDING, AND AUTOMATED MAT

CASTING FACILITY

Mississippi Valley Division Memphis District Vicksburg District New Orleans District 20

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Regional Revetment Challenges

REVETMENT FUNDING TRENDS• Average annual funding for revetment requirements is approximately $90 million to $100 million.

• A static budget, increasing operational costs, and above-average inflation have reinforced the program’s emphasis on affordability and efficiency.

• The program is focused on reducing manual labor requirements and improving production efficiency.

• Reducing quality-related downtime is a key program objective and a primary benefit sought through automated casting.

$100,000,000

$200,000,000

$300,000,000

$400,000,000

$500,000,000

$600,000,000

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

Revetment Supplemental Average

$38.5M

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Regional ACM Short Term Plans

Fiscal Year 2027

• Available funding is significantly reduced

• Limited funds available for sinking ACM

• Likely no traditional casting contract due to funding and current available inventory

• Armor One to be placed into service

Fiscal Year 2028

• Available funding unknown

• Likely no traditional casting contract due to anticipated funding and current available inventory

• Automated mat casting facility construction completion scheduled

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Automated Casting at Richardson Landing

Goals:

• Provides year-round, indoor casting capability while minimizing weather-related impacts on production quality.

• Offers scalable production capacity based on the number of operating shifts.

• Reduces manual touchpoints through automation.

• Improves product quality, efficiency, and consistency.

• Enhances workforce safety.

• Reduces overall workforce requirements while enabling skilled personnel to focus on higher-value tasks.

• Requires fewer forms, improving process and product consistency.

• Eliminates the need for separation paper between squares.

Fun Fact “Adjusting to the River’s Needs”

The new automated facility is anticipated to be GOCO

(Government Owned, Contractor Operated)

Requirement: Design and develop a semi-automated casting facility on the grounds of the existing government casting yard that can produce a minimum of 50,000 squares per calendar year per shift with the maximum capability of 150,000 squares annually utilizing 24-hour operations.

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Regional ACM Long Term Investment

Armor One

• New robotics sinking unit and automated concrete casting facility

• Increased Safety

• Increased Efficiency

• Improved Consistency & Quality

Automated Mat Casting FacilityHow does USACE provide ACM capability tomorrow?

REGIONAL CHANNEL

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Lower Mississippi River Navigation and Flood Risk Management

Regional ACM Long Term Casting Planning

Likely No traditional casting contract in

MVD

Likely No traditional casting contract in

MVD

Automated casting facility at Richardson

Landing operational

*Unknown – Depends on future funding

*Unknown – Depends on future funding

2027 2028 2029 2030 Future

• Traditional casting operations beyond 2028 will depend on future funding availability and mat-sinking execution requirements.

• Future production may combine automated casting at Richardson Landing with traditional casting at either Delta or St.

Francisville.

• The Richardson Landing Automated Casting Facility is currently planned as a Government-Owned, Contractor- Operated facility.

CLOSING REMARKS

Mississippi Valley Division Memphis District Vicksburg District New Orleans District 27

Meeting summary will be posted on SAM.gov