An Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Location of the Bastrop City Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bastrop County, Texas

Between August 11 and August 13, 2004, the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an archaeological survey of the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant in central Bastrop County, Texas. The pedestrian survey was performed for Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc. on behalf of the City of Bastrop. Construction of the proposed wastewater treatment facility will primarily impact the northwestern portion of the property, although a gray-water outfall line will traverse the property and empty into the Colorado River. The survey, carried out under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 3501 with Dr. Steve A. Tomka serving as Principal Investigator, was performed to identify any cultural deposits present within the project area. The Phase 1 project included a 100% pedestrian survey of the 26.5-acre property, the excavation of 27 shovel tests, and the excavation of seven backhoe trenches. Two archaeological sites, both located on the southern portion of the project area, were identified. Site 41BP678, located at the confluence of the Colorado River and a tributary, Spring Branch, consists of a light surface scatter of chipped stone debitage and buried cultural materials. The results of shovel testing suggest that two components may be present, with one located from the surface down to 20 cm, and a second located between 40 cm and 60 cm below surface. No features were identified, though burned rock is present in small numbers. No temporally diagnostic artifacts were recovered. The second site, 41BP679, abuts Spring Branch. This site consists of a light surface scatter of chipped stone, minimally including a biface and a core. Shovel testing demonstrates that debitage and burned rock is present down to 30 cm below surface, though deeper deposits (ca. 75 cm to 92 cm below surface), evidenced by two flakes present in a backhoe trench profile, are present at the site. No features were identified at 41BP679. While no diagnostic artifacts were recovered, a broken biface was collected from the backdirt of a backhoe trench. The highly patinated biface has parallel flaking reminiscent of late Paleoindian (c.f. Angostura) forms. The proposed wastewater treatment facility will impact limited portions of each of these sites. The gray-water outflow line will cut through roughly 109 m of 41BP678, and 61 m of 41BP679. In addition, the construction of one clarifier tank and a flume will directly impact small portions of 41BP679. We currently lack sufficient information on either site to make determinations of eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or for determining State Archeological Landmark status. If the proposed wastewater treatment facility cannot be moved to avoid these sites, we recommend that limited testing be conducted to determine the eligibility status of 41BP678 and 41BP679. All artifacts collected during this project are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines

An Archaeological Survey of the South Salado Creek Greenway: Rigsby Avenue to Southside Lion\u27s Park East, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In October and November of 2007, The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive pedestrian archaeological survey of the South Salado Creek located in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The work was conducted in advance of construction of a multi-use greenway trail between Rigsby Avenue to Southside Lion’s Park East along the Salado Creek proposed by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio and to fulfill contract requirements with Rehler, Vaughn & Koone, Inc. (RVK) of San Antonio. RVK, in turn, was hired by the City of San Antonio. The survey was conducted under the requirements of the City of San Antonio Unified Development Code Chapter 35, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, and the Texas Antiquities Code. The survey was performed under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4702, with Dr. Steve Tomka, CAR Director, serving as Principal Investigator and Leonard Kemp serving as the Project Archaeologist. This report summarizes the results of the archaeological investigation, and provides recommendations regarding the management of cultural resources located in the project area. Pedestrian reconnaissance, and shovel tests were used to search for cultural resources within the project right of way (ROW). One archaeological site, 41BX1756 was found and recorded within the project area. It is a site with both prehistoric and historic components. The historic component consists of the remains of a house and an agricultural processing structure. In addition, two shovel tests adjacent to the facility were positive for prehistoric artifacts including debitage and burned rock. Field, laboratory and archival investigations suggest that neither the prehistoric nor historic components have significant research value. CAR recommends that because this site falls within the alternative trail designation the primary trail be utilized to avoid any impact to the site. In summary, because no significant deposits were found within the depth of impact along the proposed alignment, CAR recommends that the development of the South Salado Creek Greenway project proceed as planned. Artifacts collected and records generated during this project were prepared for curation according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines and are permanently curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio

Exploration EVA Purge Flow Assessment

An advanced future spacesuit will require properly sized suit and helmet purge flow rates in order to sustain a crew member with a failed Portable Life Support System (PLSS) during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). A computational fluid dynamics evaluation was performed to estimate the helmet purge flow rate required to washout carbon dioxide and to prevent the condensing ("fogging") of water vapor on the helmet visor. An additional investigation predicted the suit purge flow rate required to provide sufficient convective cooling to keep the crew member comfortable. This paper summarizes the results of these evaluations

Exploration EVA Purge Flow Assessment

An advanced future spacesuit will require properly sized suit and helmet purge flow rates in order to sustain a crew member with a failed Portable Life Support System (PLSS) during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). A computational fluid dynamics evaluation was performed to estimate the helmet purge flow rate required to washout carbon dioxide and to prevent the condensing ("fogging") of water vapor on the helmet visor. An additional investigation predicted the suit purge flow rate required to provide sufficient convective cooling to keep the crew member comfortable. This paper summarizes the results of these evaluations

Camp Elizabeth, Sterling County, Texas: An Archaeological and Archival Investigation of a U.S. Army Subpost, and Evidence Supporting Its Use by the Military and Buffalo Soldiers

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) engaged in a two-phase contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to complete archaeological and archival investigations of the Camp at the Head of the North Concho (41 STIll). The camp, known locally as Camp Elizabeth, was a military outpost of Fort Concho in San Angelo, Texas, and is now located approximately nine miles northwest of Sterling City along V.S. Highway 87. The camp lies within the right-of-way along V.S. 87 that will be impacted by a highway improvement project. CAR\u27s archaeological and archival investigations confirmed the presence of the former military occupation of the camp during the late-nineteenth century. No evidence supporting a legendary presence of the Texas Rangers at Camp Elizabeth was found. Archival evidence that the Buffalo Soldiers, African-American troops, were stationed at Camp Elizabeth is presented. Archaeological excavations identified numerous features, including a farrier\u27s shop

Phase I Archaeological Survey of a 10-acre Habitat for Humanity Tract in Laredo, Webb County, Texas

On December 7, 2004, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted a Phase I intensive pedestrian archaeological survey of a 10-acre portion of Tract 4 in the Las Blancas Subdivision located near Laredo in Webb County, Texas, for Habitat for Humanity of Laredo. The proposed development consists of the construction of low-income housing within this parcel. Twenty shovel tests were excavated along 20-meter transects and in areas considered to have high or moderate probability of buried cultural materials. In addition, two backhoe trenches were excavated in alluvial deposits along the eastern margin of the project area overlooking Blancas Creek. The survey resulted in the identification of one archaeological site, 41WB633, an apparent lithic procurement locality. Site 41WB633 covers approximately 6.4 acres and extends beyond the survey area. The core area with the highest density of surface materials measures approximately 65 x 45 meters and contains early reduction stage bifaces, cores, and lithic debitage scattered across the surface. Only one of the 20 shovel tests (ST 10) placed within the site recovered subsurface materials buried in Levels 1–3, at 0–30 cm below surface. Neither of the two backhoe trenches excavated within the boundaries of the site yielded subsurface materials. The geoarchaeological investigations indicate that the prehistoric lithic artifacts show no evidence of alluvial or colluvial abrasion and only minimal patination was observed on a few pieces. This suggests that they are not the product of significant high-energy redeposition. Although the surface gravels may have been formed by colluvial or eolian processes, the fresh, undamaged edges of the lithics indicate that events concentrating the gravels probably occurred prior to deposition of the archaeological materials. Given the lack of isolable archaeological deposits at 41WB633, the overall low density of cultural materials, and the absence of a comprehensive research context within which such lithic procurement sites can be interpreted, CAR recommends that the site does not merit designation as a State Archeological Landmark and does not warrant nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, it is CAR’s recommendation that the construction work associated with the development of this 10-acre portion of the Las Blancas Subdivision proceed as planned. Because the property was privately owned at the time of the fieldwork, and no state funds will be employed in the construction effort, no Texas Antiquities Committee permit was necessary for this undertaking. The artifacts collected during the survey will be curated at CAR unless otherwise requested by the landowner. All project-associated documents are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio

Space Suit CO2 Washout During Intravehicular Activity

Space suit carbon dioxide (CO2) washout refers to the removal of CO2 gas from the oral-nasal area of a suited astronaut's (or crewmember's) helmet using the suit's ventilation system. Inadequate washout of gases can result in diminished mental/cognitive abilities as well as headaches and light headedness. In addition to general discomfort, these ailments can impair an astronaut s ability to perform mission-critical tasks ranging from flying the space vehicle to performing lunar extravehicular activities (EVAs). During design development for NASA s Constellation Program (CxP), conflicting requirements arose between the volume of air flow that the new Orion manned space vehicle is allocated to provide to the suited crewmember and the amount of air required to achieve CO2 washout in a space suit. Historically, space suits receive 6.0 actual cubic feet per minute (acfm) of air flow, which has adequately washed out CO2 for EVAs. For CxP, the Orion vehicle will provide 4.5 acfm of air flow to the suit. A group of subject matter experts (SM Es) among the EVA Systems community came to an early consensus that 4.5 acfm may be acceptable for low metabolic rate activities. However, this value appears very risky for high metabolic rates, hence the need for further analysis and testing. An analysis was performed to validate the 4.5 acfm value and to determine if adequate CO2 washout can be achieved with the new suit helmet design concepts. The analysis included computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling cases, which modeled the air flow and breathing characteristics of a human wearing suit helmets. Helmet testing was performed at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to provide a gross-level validation of the CFD models. Although there was not a direct data correlation between the helmet testing and the CFD modeling, the testing data showed trends that are very similar to the CFD modeling. Overall, the analysis yielded results that were better than anticipated, with a few unexpected findings that could not easily be explained. Results indicate that 4.5 acfm is acceptable for CO2 washout and helmet design. This paper summarizes the results of this CO2 washout study

CO2 Washout Testing Using Various Inlet Vent Configurations in the Mark-III Space Suit

Requirements for using a space suit during ground testing include providing adequate carbon dioxide (CO2) washout for the suited subject. Acute CO2 exposure can lead to symptoms including headache, dyspnea, lethargy and eventually unconsciousness or even death. Symptoms depend on several factors including inspired partial pressure of CO2 (ppCO2), duration of exposure, metabolic rate of the subject and physiological differences between subjects. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis has predicted that the configuration of the suit inlet vent has a significant effect on oronasal CO2 concentrations. The main objective of this test was to characterize inspired oronasal ppCO2 for a variety of inlet vent configurations in the Mark-III suit across a range of workload and flow rates. Data and trends observed during testing along with refined CFD models will be used to help design an inlet vent configuration for the Z-2 space suit. The testing methodology used in this test builds upon past CO2 washout testing performed on the Z-1 suit, Rear Entry I-Suit (REI) and the Enhanced Mobility Advanced Crew Escape Suit (EM-ACES). Three subjects performed two test sessions each in the Mark-III suit to allow for comparison between tests. Six different helmet inlet vent configurations were evaluated during each test session. Suit pressure was maintained at 4.3 psid. Suited test subjects walked on a treadmill to generate metabolic workloads of approximately 2000 and 3000 BTU/hr. Supply airflow rates of 6 and 4 actual cubic feet per minute (ACFM) were tested at each workload. Subjects wore an oronasal mask with an open port in front of the mouth and were allowed to breathe freely. Oronasal ppCO2 was monitored real-time via gas analyzers with sampling tubes connected to the oronasal mask. Metabolic rate was calculated from the total oxygen consumption and CO2 production measured by additional gas analyzers at the air outlet from the suit. Realtime metabolic rate measurements were used to adjust the treadmill workload to meet target metabolic rates. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the test hardware, methodology and results, as well as implications for future inlet vent designs and ground testing

CO2 Washout Testing Using Various Inlet Vent Configurations in the Mark-III Space Suit

Requirements for using a space suit during ground testing include providing adequate carbon dioxide (CO2) washout for the suited subject. Acute CO2 exposure can lead to symptoms including headache, dyspnea, lethargy and eventually unconsciousness or even death. Symptoms depend on several factors including inspired partial pressure of CO2 (ppCO2), duration of exposure, metabolic rate of the subject and physiological differences between subjects. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis has predicted that the configuration of the suit inlet vent has a significant effect on oronasal CO2 concentrations. The main objective of this test is to characterize inspired oronasal ppCO2 for a variety of inlet vent configurations in the Mark-III space suit across a range of workload and flow rates. As a secondary objective, results will be compared to the predicted CO2 concentrations and used to refine existing CFD models. These CFD models will then be used to help design an inlet vent configuration for the Z-2 space suit, which maximizes oronasal CO2 washout. This test has not been completed, but is planned for January 2014. The results of this test will be incorporated into this paper. The testing methodology used in this test builds upon past CO2 washout testing performed on the Z-1 suit, Rear Entry I-Suit (REI) and the Enhanced Mobility Advanced Crew Escape Suit (EM-ACES). Three subjects will be tested in the Mark-III space suit with each subject performing two test sessions to allow for comparison between tests. Six different helmet inlet vent configurations will be evaluated during each test session. Suit pressure will be maintained at 4.3 psid. Subjects will wear the suit while walking on a treadmill to generate metabolic workloads of approximately 2000 and 3000 BTU/hr. Supply airflow rates of 6 and 4 actual cubic feet per minute (ACFM) will be tested at each workload. Subjects will wear an oronasal mask with an open port in front of the mouth and will be allowed to breathe freely. Oronasal ppCO2 will be monitored real-time via gas analyzers with sampling tubes connected to the oronasal mask. Metabolic rate will be calculated from the total oxygen consumption and CO2 production measured by additional gas analyzers at the air outlet from the suit. Real-time metabolic rate measurements will be used to adjust the treadmill workload to meet target metabolic rates. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the test hardware, methodology and results, as well as implications for future inlet vent design and ground testing in the Mark-III

Carbon Dioxide Washout Testing Using Various Inlet Vent Configurations in the Mark-III Space Suit

Requirements for using a space suit during ground testing include providing adequate carbon dioxide (CO2) washout for the suited subject. Acute CO2 exposure can lead to symptoms including headache, dyspnea, lethargy, and eventually unconsciousness or even death. Symptoms depend on several factors including inspired partial pressure of CO2 (ppCO2), duration of exposure, metabolic rate of the subject, and physiological differences between subjects. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has predicted that the configuration of the suit inlet vent has a significant effect on oronasal CO2 concentrations. The main objective of this test was to characterize inspired oronasal ppCO2 for a variety of inlet vent configurations in the Mark-III suit across a range of workload and flow rates. Data and trends observed during testing along with refined CFD models will be used to help design an inlet vent configuration for the Z-2 space suit. The testing methodology used in this test builds upon past CO2 washout testing performed on the Z-1 suit, Rear Entry I-Suit, and the Enhanced Mobility Advanced Crew Escape Suit. Three subjects performed two test sessions each in the Mark-III suit to allow for comparison between tests. Six different helmet inlet vent configurations were evaluated during each test session. Suit pressure was maintained at 4.3 psid. Suited test subjects walked on a treadmill to generate metabolic workloads of approximately 2000 and 3000 BTU/hr. Supply airflow rates of 6 and 4 actual cubic feet per minute were tested at each workload. Subjects wore an oronasal mask with an open port in front of the mouth and were allowed to breathe freely. Oronasal ppCO2 was monitored real-time via gas analyzers with sampling tubes connected to the oronasal mask. Metabolic rate was calculated from the CO2 production measured by an additional gas analyzer at the air outlet from the suit. Real-time metabolic rate measurements were used to adjust the treadmill workload to meet target metabolic rates. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the test hardware, methodology and results, as well as implications for future inlet vent designs and ground testing