BYRD STATION SNOW TUNNELS - SIDE-CUTTING WALL TRIMMER.

To prevent excessive snow-tunnel closure, equipment and techniques were developed for trimming the closure snow from the tunnel walls at Byrd Station, Antarctica. The system developed is satisfactory but time-consuming and laborious. At the present average 2-in./yr rate of closure, the walls must be...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sherwood,G. E.
Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CALIF
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1967
Subjects:
Ice
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0684445
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0684445
Description
Summary:To prevent excessive snow-tunnel closure, equipment and techniques were developed for trimming the closure snow from the tunnel walls at Byrd Station, Antarctica. The system developed is satisfactory but time-consuming and laborious. At the present average 2-in./yr rate of closure, the walls must be trimmed at least every 3 years so that the space between the tunnel walls and the buildings does not become too restricted for the maintenance equipment. To permit less frequent clearing of the tunnel walls and to simplify the operation, a concept was developed for a side cutter which clears the tunnel walls in advance of the maintenance equipment, thus requiring no work space between the closure snow and the buildings. Based on the present rate of closure, this device could extend the frequency of clearing up to 9 years, resulting in both a labor and monetary savings over the existing system. (Author)