Bending strength tests of wooden panels of the old living hut built in 1969 at Syowa Station, Antarctica

The old living hut was built by the 10th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-10) in 1969. Since then, it had been used continuously at Syowa Station in Antarctica. In 1998, the living hut was taken apart, which were taken back to Japan. To estimate the durability of the prefabricated wooden...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Toshio Hannuki, Hiroki Takahashi, Yuichiro Ishinabe, Masashi Sano, Zenkichi Hirayama
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Japanese
Published: National Institute of Polar Research 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.15094/00009243
https://doaj.org/article/d2c7b14b068645718e5074dad6b20728
Description
Summary:The old living hut was built by the 10th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-10) in 1969. Since then, it had been used continuously at Syowa Station in Antarctica. In 1998, the living hut was taken apart, which were taken back to Japan. To estimate the durability of the prefabricated wooden structural elements, namely, roof panels, wall panels and floor panels, the bending strength of the elements was tested. Structural performances of these elements were decreased little by little. Deterioration of the surface of the panels was marked on the outside part of the elements. The required strength of the elements for the structural design was adequate, although the strength was decreased as a whole. It was found that surface protection of the structural wooden panel from erosion is most important to preserve the structural performance.