An Ice Excavation Machine.
Abstract
A review of operational requirements indicates a continuing need for equipment to excavate ice to facilitate polar construction. A 30-hp ladder-type trencher was selected and procured for its low ground pressure and versatility. The chain was outfitted with specifically designed conical ice teeth, and a rotating ice chipper drum was designed and fabricated for the backhoe arm. Both modifications, along with an off-the-shelf hydraulic impactor attachment, were evaluated during a field test program after undergoing shakedown performance tests in the laboratory. A similar, but larger machine with identical teeth, procured under a separate task, was observed during an extended Antarctic ice-trenching operation. The CEL-designed conical teeth made both ice excavation machines very efficient trenchers, cutting over 3,000 lineal feet (900 m) of ice with an average specific energy of only 220 in.-lb/in.3 (1,500 kPa). Both backhoe attachments were effective for special applications, such as ice hummock removal and deadman anchor emplacement. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA037951
Entities
People
- K. D. Vaudrey
Organizations
- Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center