Structural Analysis of DEW Line Station DYE-2 Greenland 1983-1988.

• Main Authors: Walsh, Michael R., Ueda, Herbert T.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: Meteorology; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Defense Systems; *STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS; *ARCTIC REGIONS; *EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS; *ICE CAPS; STATIONS; MEASUREMENT; AIR FORCE; COASTAL REGIONS; EMERGENCIES; MONITORING; STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES; STRESS TESTING; WEST(DIRECTION); GREENLAND; DYE 2; DEW LINE; Arctic; Greenland; Ice; Ice cap; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA353518; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA353518

DYE-2, a Distant Early Warning station, is located on the Greenland ice cap approximately along the Arctic Circle, 470 km from the west coast. The viscous nature of the material on which the structure is grounded made periodic monitoring and maintenance of the supporting structure necessary This report analyzes the stresses developed within the structure from the last major maintenance operation, a 64-m sideways move in 1982 to a new foundation, to the final set of stress measurements taken at the abandoned site in 1988. Conclusions drawn from these measurements and the subsequent analysis were that the building system was continuing to tilt in one direction because of differential footing settlement caused by changing footing conditions, and high structural stresses would make it unsafe for reoccupation after December of 1988 unless emergency maintenance was performed. The U.S. Air Force officially abandoned the site in August 1988 as a result of this analysis.