SNOW MOVEMENT-DRIFT CONTROL FOR AT-GRADE CAMPS

Abstract

Snow movement in polar areas creates logistical problems for at-grade, or surface, camps in areas of positive snow accumulation. Snow drift studies, which were made over a 4-year period around a single unprotected building and around a cluster of buildings in an area of positive snow accumulation on the Ross Ice Shelf near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, showed that at-grade camps will eventually become covered with drifting snow. Drift control measures, however, can be used to increase the usefulness of such camps. The drift control measures developed in this report, which cover proper building orientation and camp layout with respect to the major storm winds, can be used to improve access and reduce maintenance for at-grade camps in areas of drifting snow. In addition, mobile foundations should be used for all buildings to facilitate camp moves when snowdrift becomes excessive, and small camps should be built on elevated snow platforms to extend their useful life.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1968
Accession Number
AD0668993

Entities

People

  • N. S. Stehle

Organizations

  • Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Antarctica
  • Biological Phenomena
  • Civil Engineering
  • Depression
  • Engineering
  • Ice
  • Low Temperature
  • Materials
  • Observation
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Platforms
  • Scale Models
  • Snow
  • Snowdrifts
  • Wind
  • Wind Velocity

Readers

  • Polar and Arctic Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design