Fast All-Season Soil STrength (FASST)

Abstract : The ability to predict the state of the ground is essential to manned and unmanned vehicle mobility and personnel movement, as well as determining sensor performance for both military and civilian activities. As part of the Army's Battlespace Terrain Reasoning and Awareness research program, the 1-D dynamic state of the ground model FASST (Fast All-season Soil STrength) was developed. It calculates the ground's moisture content, ice content, temperature, and freeze/thaw profiles, as well as soil strength and surface ice and snow accumulation/depletion. The fundamental operations of FASST are the calculation of an energy and water budget that quantifies both the flow of heat and moisture within the soil and also the exchange of heat and moisture at all interfaces (ground/air or ground/snow; snow/air) using both meteorological and terrain data. FASST is designed to accommodate a range of users, from those who have intricate knowledge of their site to those who know only the site location. It allows for 22 different terrain materials, including asphalt, concrete, bedrock, permanent snow, and the USCS soil types. At a minimum, the only weather information required is air temperature.

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