Passive road over perennial ice at Casey Station, Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
• Main Author: McCallum, A B
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society of Civil Engineers 2014
• Subjects: FoR 0905 (Civil Engineering); Antarctic roads; Antarctica; Casey station; ice roads; insulation; passive road design; permafrost; snow roads; Antarctic; Casey Station; Antarc*; Ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CR.1943-5495.0000061

Resupply of Australia’s Antarctic station Casey relies on the movement of heavy cargo over land from the wharf to the station. The road consists of gravel that is deposited seasonally over 2-3 m of perennial ice. However, ongoing maintenance of this road is unsustainable because local sourcing of gravel will soon be prohibited. Therefore, alternative resupply options were investigated. Bridging solutions are available to span problematic sections of the road; however, sections of unbridged road will remain, requiring ongoing maintenance. Therefore, implementation of a passive, thermally isolated road over the existing or similar road alignment is recommended. Gravel may still be required in the initial construction of such a road; however, it would be contained and not need replenishment. Measures can be implemented in an iterative manner to ensure that the resupply of Casey Station continues in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.