Work at the High Pressure Waterjet Laboratory has included the development of tools for the recovery of high level waste stored in underground storage tanks. This work has been a collaborative effort between government, academia and private industry with research being directed both at enhancing conventional sluicing of the waste and with a more refined confined sluicing system. As part of the latter effort a technology for using high pressure waterjet driven jet pumps has been studied, and improved designs developed.

The underground mining environment is a dangerous place for humans to be. A totally unmanned mining robot would be an ideal solution in removing humans from this dangerous environment. However, a complete autonomous system is a long way from reality. In the meantime, steps towards that goal can be made and integrated into current mining technology to take away some of the risk and stress from the miner making the miner more alert and the environment safer for those that do have to be underground.

This project, sponsored by Naval Surface Warfare Center; Crane, Indiana, is researching the safe use of abrasive laden waterjets at medium pressure to penetrate munitions casings for seperation of components. The final product, now in use in Crane, Indiana helps in the struggle to dispose of old munitions, which can then be recycled in all sorts of items.

B.A.D.G.E.R., (Better and Definitely Gentler Excavators of Rock) was a new technology developed to help with the excavation of the base of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The area excavated in now the OMNIMAX Theater and museum.

UM-Rolla Stonehenge Website

UM-Rolla Stonehenge is a partial reconstruction of the ancient megalith located on Salisbury Plain 75 miles southwest of London. UM-Rolla Stonehenge stands for many things; a lasting monument to man's drive for knowledge and engineering, the largest monument to ever be cut with a waterjet, and a link from the past into the modern.