Improved Transition Ramps for McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

• Main Author: Brier,F. W.
• Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CALIF
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1973
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; *ROADS; *RAMPS; TRANSITIONS; ENGINEERING; POLAR REGIONS; STATIONS; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; SURFACES; SEA ICE; ALUMINUM; CONSTRUCTION; THERMAL INSULATION; McMurdo Station; Antarctic; McMurdo Sound; Ross Ice Shelf; Williams Field; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0773064; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0773064

Wheeled vehicle travel between McMurdo Station and Williams Field is via a processed snow road on the Ross Ice Shelf or on an annual sea ice road cross McMurdo Sound. The critical areas of construction and maintenance on the McMurdo road system are at points of transition from one road material to another material. Three transition conditions exist in the road system: annual sea ice to snow, snow to land, and annual sea ice to land. Each of the three transition zones has different construction and maintenance problems. These problems were reviewed and field tests were conducted on various types of surfacing materials at Port Hueneme, California, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The field tests showed AM2 aluminum planking was more durable than Mo-mat, but Mo-mat has sufficient strength to support vehicular traffic when it is properly anchored. The field tests also indicated that when placed on sea ice AM2 aluminum planking and Mo-mat must be insulated to prevent surface melting of the ice. (Author)