Elevated Station Design for the South Pole Redevelopment Project
at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
by William D. Brooks, AIA
6. A New Vision for Amundsen-Scott Station
Less than a year before Halley V became operational, the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs was already creating a dramatic new vision for redeveloping the aging U.S. Amundsen-Scott station.
Similar to the British experience at Haley, the United States had continuously maintained and operated its Amundsen-Scott station at the geographic South Pole since 1957. With a relatively milder climate (less wind and snow) to contend with than the British, the original buildings of wood and canvas initially sufficed, but the relentless annual snow deposition of .2 meters and prevailing winter winds eventually led to corrugated steel arches being placed over the living and working facilities, both for protection from the elements, and to contend with the inevitable burial beneath the rising snow plain.
The original station was abandoned after 18 years of operation and replaced with an entirely new station in 1975. By that time, the old station had become buried by 8 meters of snow. The 1975 station design perpetuated the concept of placing facility buildings within steel arches which could withstand being buried, and also placed facilities within a dramatic 51 meter diameter geodesic dome. The landmark dome housed laboratories, offices, dining, and berthing space while the arches enclosed a garage/shop, fuel storage, the power plant, and other support areas. The dome resisted drifting over better than the arches did, but over time, the unequal snow loading imposed on the dome’s base ring began to compromise its structural integrity.
As Amundsen-Scott approached the 1990’s, the combined pressures of outdated and fatigued facilities, a population which far exceeded original design capacity, and the general disadvantages of a mostly below-surface existence led NSF to seek for a better and longer term solution.
In early 1991 NSF orchestrated a high-level design retreat in Enfield, New Hampshire. That June they published the results of their charette in a document entitled the Enfield Concept Design. Most notable in the visionary design concept was the idea that the pending redevelopment of the station would be substantially above grade in elevated, jackable structures.
The concept rendering produced by the Enfield retreat depicts a series of identical separated two-story elevated structures connected by enclosed pedestrian bridges. This line of elevated buildings was itself connected by an enclosed bridge back to the geodesic dome, which had been retained as the signature keystone of the station.
In 1992, Ferraro Choi And Associates a Honolulu based architectural firm with 10 years of antarctic experience, was retained to develop the concepts contained in the vision initiated by the Enfield retreat to a stage of final design and construction documents. Over the next 8 years studies, research, and design gradually led to current elevated, jackable design for the new Amundsen-Scott station buildings. The design involves two separate elevated C-shaped two-story buildings connected by a two-story pedestrian link. The entire complex has been arranged in a linear configuration with the long axis perpendicular to the prevailing winter winds, and is elevated approximately 3 meters above the snow surface. The windward face is chamfered like an airplane wing for improved aerodynamic performance. Each of the C-shaped structures have been designed as “Pods”. Each Pod is designed to account for differential settlement and to facilitate periodic minor leveling in addition to an ability to be raised a full floor height twice during the life of the station. Day to day station operations (science, medical, administration, food service, berthing, communications) occur primarily on the second floor while support spaces (mechanical, electrical, emergency power generation) and gymnasium occur on the first floor. The entire elevated complex (exclusive of the remote science facilities) is connected to a below surface main power plant, cargo facility, garage/shop, and fuel storage by means of a vertical circulation tower, which includes a staircase, cargo lift, and all plumbing and utility risers. Above surface elevated facilities total approximately 6,040 square meters, easily the largest station of its type in Antarctica. The landmark dome (shown on the site plan) is scheduled to be removed for cost and maintenance reasons.
Proceed to next section: 7. Amundsen-Scott Station Design Features
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Background
3. Old Casey Station
4. Filchner Station
5. Halley V
6. A New Vision for Amundsen-Scott Station
7. Amundsen-Scott Station Design Features
8. Conclusion
9. References
Return to Publications
|
F E R R A R O C H O I A N D A S S O C I A T E S L T D