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Master Plan for the South Pole Redevelopment Project

by Joseph J. Ferraro, AIA

3. DESIGN PROCESS:

3.5 Siting the Station:

Determining the optimum location for the new station utilized a quadrant analysis of the existing station complex rotated about the station’s geodesic dome. This approach was grounded in the station’s distinct areas of scientific study and operation. Five sectors separate scientific disciplines from each other and from station operations in order to restrict unwanted activities that could disrupt, contaminate, or preclude ongoing scientific research projects.

It is important to note that experiments are formulated several years prior to receiving funding and scheduling at the South Pole. Some experiments are continuing and have provided on-going streams of data for decades while other one-time experiments are scheduled for only a segment of an operational season. The limited science support staff, research space, logistics support, and time allocated to each experiment puts great pressure on NSF to provide a pristine and benign environment to conduct these unique research projects each year. If a project’s operation or data is compromised, it could result in the loss of the experiment and/or hundreds of thousands of dollars in support costs.

Science Sector Restrictions:

• The Quiet Sector contains seismic vaults. All vehicular traffic and radio interference equipment is restricted from the area.
• The Downwind Sector provides an unobstructed path for balloon launching; consequently no structures are allowed in this immediate area.
• The Operations Sector provides for all main station and summer annex operations, support functions, aircraft taxiway and, radio transmitter towers.
• The Upwind Sector serves as a clean area for air sampling and snow studies.
• The Dark Sector houses the station’s astronomy and astrophysics research and is the newest and fastest growing sector.

All electromagnetic radiation sources are to be kept to a minimum. Radio transmissions are restricted and heights of all buildings and equipment are restricted to levels below horizon-to-horizon sky camera viewing angles. Design parameters 3 and 5 required some of the existing station components to be utilized in the new station and that the station operation not be disrupted during the construction. This dictated that the new above surface habitat had to be in close proximity to the existing main station while respecting the existing science sector requirements.

An analysis of each quadrant pointed to Quadrant A as the recommended location for the new building elements.  For the following reasons:

• Close proximity to the aircraft taxiway
• Direct access for people and cargo
• New buildings would not conflict with the future locations of the geographic South Pole markers.
• Existing dome and arches of the main station would not be impacted by downwind snow drifting from new buildings.
• Minimal impact on existing science sectors and science experiments.
• An established bed of compacted snow in this area for new construction.
• Downwind snow drifting from new buildings could be unlimited and snowdrift management  (plowing) would be minimized.
• No need to pass over existing structures to construct new buildings.

Proceed to next section: 4. Conclusion/Reference

Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Background
3. Design Process:
    3.1. Information Gathering
    3.2. Review and Consideration of Previous Concepts
    3.3. Functional Analysis
    3.4. Conceptual Building Design
    3.5. Siting the Station
4. Conclusion/Reference

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Latest.Revision.12.27.2010

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