Improving Snow Roads and Airstrips in Antarctica

• Main Authors: Lee, Sung M., Haas, Wilbur M., Brown, Robert L., Wuori, Albert F.
• Other Authors: MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIV HOUGHTON
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Civil Engineering; *SNOW; *ROADS; *BEARING STRENGTH; *RUNWAYS; RATIOS; TEMPERATURE; WATER; MIXTURES; PROFILES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SURFACE PROPERTIES; WHEELS; LANDING FIELDS; ADDITIVES; JET TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT; GROUND TRAFFIC; MELTING POINT; HARDNESS; SUMMER; WOOD; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; COMPACTING; BLOWERS; MEASUREMENT; DENSITY; SAWDUST; MAINTENANCE; STATIONS; *SNOW ROADS; CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO; SNOW BLOWERS; C-141 AIRCRAFT; Antarctic; Austral; Lanes; McMurdo Station; South Pole; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; permafrost; South pole
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA211588; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA211588

During the 1986-1987 austral summer, snow road and runway test lanes were constructed at McMurdo Station and at South Pole Station. These lanes were monitored during Dec 86-Jan 87, and again in Jan 88. Test sections were constructed of 1) tractor-compacted snow topped with a 15-cm layer of rotary blower processed snow, 2) rotary processed and compacted snow in 15-cm layers to a depth of 60 cm, 3) rotary processed and compacted snow in 15-cm layers incorporating wood sawdust additive mixed at 5% by volume, and 4) rotary- processed snow with 10% sawdust by volume. These test sections were monitored by obtaining temperature and density profiles, Rammsonde hardness profiles, California Bearing Ratio and Clegg surface strength values, and testing for ability to withstand traffic. Wood sawdust added to processed snow in amounts of 5-10% by volume significantly increases the strength of the resulting snow road or runway. Adequate strengths of the snow/sawdust mixtures were achieved for limited use by wheeled C130 aircraft, but additional processing with heat, water or added compaction appears necessary to produce a 25-cm-thick surface layer adequate for frequent use and to accommodate wheeled C141 aircraft. At McMurdo, it was found that the sawdust was not effective in maintaining the integrity of the surface traffic during the thawing season without additional maintenance, whereas at the South Pole, thawing was not a problem since temperatures remained well below the melting point. It was concluded that the McMurdo snow roads were not constructed adequately early in the season to prevent failure and, therefore, required an unduly high maintenance effort during the warm season.