Construction ReportDeep Freeze 70

PHILIP L. HALL

Captain, U.S. ArmyU.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica

The Deep Freeze 70 construction effort waslargely concentrated on completion of a number ofprojects which had been under way for one or moreprevious seasons. Major projects falling in this cate-gory included the 257-man berthing portion of thepersonnel building, the scientists' quarters, electricalmodifications, the Antarctic Development SquadronSix (VXE-6) shops and office building at McMurdoStation, and the generator waste-heat recovery sys-tem at Byrd Station. While most of the effort wasagain expended at McMurdo, major inland projectswere also undertaken at Byrd, South Pole, andPalmer Stations.

A construction quality-control inspection teamwas utilized for the first time on antarctic projectsduring Deep Freeze 70. This team, composed of foursenior Seabee enlisted men, was provided by theCommander, Construction Battalions, Atlantic andworked directly for the Support Force AssistantChief of Staff for Civil Engineering. The inspectionteam was a valuable addition to the Deep Freezeconstruction program.

The Navy's Construction Battalion Unit 201(CBU-201), primary construction agency for Ant-arctica, deployed its main contingent from Davis-ville, Rhode Island to McMurdo Station during theperiod October 8, 1969 to November 10, 1969. CBU-201's Construction Platoon Alpha deployed fromDavisville on December 26, 1969 and arrived atPalmer Station aboard USCGC Glacier on January8, 1970.

McMurdo Construction

The most sophisticated and time-consuming pro-ject at McMurdo was completion of the berthingportion of the personnel building. This facility nowprovides modern, spacious living accommodationsfor up to 257 personnel; a modern, fully equippedbarber shop; and a new exchange in addition toservices already provided by the subsistence portionof the building completed in Deep Freeze 69.1 Theentire Navy winter-over crew and enough of the

Completion of the subsistence portion of the personnelbuilding (laundry, galley, dining rooms, and mechanicalroom) was reported in "Construction Report, Deep Freeze69," P. Hall, Antarctic Journal, vol. IV, no. 4, p. 144-147.

U.S. Navy Photo

Chief Petty Officers' lounge in the new personnel building atMcMurdo.

U.S. Navy Photo

Exterior view of the new USARP living quarters at McMurdo. Thebuilding will accommodate 65 personnel.

U.S. Navy Photo

The new USARP administration building (or "Chalet") which wascompleted this season at McMurdo.

summer-season personnel can now be berthed in thebuilding so that few, if any, McMurdo residents willbe living in the Jamesway huts that have for so longbeen identified with antarctic living.

U.S. Antarctic Research Program (USARP) per-sonnel also obtained new, modern living spaces in theUSARP quarters building, completed late in theDeep Freeze 70 season. This building provides berth-ing for a maximum of 62 USARP personnel.

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Nary Photo

The 2,000,000-gallon fuel storage tank at McMurdo shortly beforethe collapse of the interior structure.

1 .5.

U.N. Navy Photo

Completed in less than two months, this unheated warehouse willbe used to store automotive parts.

12-U.S. Navy Photo

Protection from heavy loads of snow was provided for buildingsat South Pole Station by boxes such as this constructed by a joint

ASA/CBU-201 team.

A major effort was expended on the McMurdo fueldistribution and storage system to accommodate re-ceipt and storage of fuel from the T-5 tanker USNSMaumee. Maumee delivered a year's supply of fuelin one trip, the first time this had been accomplished.Two new fuel tanks were constructed: one 2,000,000-gallon tank for JP-4 (Jet Fuel) and one 500,000-gallon tank for DFA (Diesel Fuel Arctic). Construc-tion of the 2,000,000-gallon tank was set back ap-proximately one week in mid-December when thetank's partially completed interior steel supporting

structure collapsed under the force of strong winds.This structure, however, was reconstructed and thetank was completed prior to the arrival of Maumee.The two new tanks increased McMurdo's bulk stor-age capacity to 8.6 million gallons. The fuel distri-bution system was improved by installing four new680 G.P.M. pumps in the Hut Point pumphouse; re-working the piping inside the pumphouse; installingnew pipelines to the two new tanks; and extendingthe aviation-gasoline line to tie in with the new2,000,000-gallon tank to provide an additionalmeans of pumping JP-4, which is the largest volumeproduct. The new distribution and storage improve-ments enabled Maumee to offload 7,000,000 gallonsof fuel in 58'/4 hours.

Three new buildings were completed for occupancyat McMurdo in addition to the berthing facilitiesdiscussed above. The VXE-6 shops and office build-ing was occupied by squadron personnel on Novem-ber 24, 1969. This building, which was under con-struction in Deep Freeze 68 and 69, replaced a con-lomerate of prefabricated buildings and Jamesway

sections which was demolished. A new two-story,10 x 100 feet unheated warehouse for the storage ofautomotive parts was started on January 4 andcompleted for occupancy on February 24, 1970. Thisbuilding will house automotive repair parts pre-viously stored outside. The new USARP administra-tion building (also known at the USARP "Chalet")was constructed from start to finish during DeepFreeze 70 by civilian construction workers of Holmesand Narver, Inc. of Los Angeles, under contractwith the National Science Foundation.

Much work was accomplished on McMurdo utili-ties systems during the past season. Modifications tothe electrical distribution system included the relo-cation of electrical switching station number 1 to themaintenance and supply building (Building 89) atthe PM-3A nuclear power plant. Additional workwas done on water-distribution and sewage-collectionsystems in the continuing effort to provide modernutilities to McMurdo's residents. Water and sewerlines were connected to the USARP quarters andadministration buildings, and the VXE-6 shops andoffice building. It is worth noting that the freshwater-distribution system put into operation last season hasfunctioned continuously and virtually without main-tenance problems.

Earth-work projects completed during the seasonincluded a foundation pad for the new location ofthe balloon-inflation building; a foundation pad forthe Antarctic Support Activities (ASA) unheatedprovision warehouse; and backfilling the section ofthe Elliott Quay wharf-protective facing installed inDeep Freeze 69. After completion of the backfillingproject, the completed section of facing was success-fully tested by an icebreaker that moored against it.

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Additional projects completed at McMurdo in-cluded demolition of building 80, which was locatedon the prospective building site for the new ASA un-heated provision warehouse (due for construction inDeep Freeze 71); relocation of the CBU-201 officespaces; and the installation of two reefer units at theUSARP field-party and equipment center for stor-age of field-party rations. Some interior work wascompleted on the Navy administration -operationsbuilding; however, due to other, higher priority pro-jects, most of the work was deferred until DeepFreeze 71.2

Inland Station Construction

Inland station construction was highlighted bymajor rehabilitation efforts at South Pole and ByrdStations. A combined ASA/CBU-201 team per-formed most of the work under the direction of ASAPublic Works personnel.

The largest portion of the team effort was ex-pended at South Pole Station, where several build-ings were on the verge of collapse under heavy snowloads. The rehabilitation team removed the snowfrom above the endangered buildings and then con-structed large wooden "snow displacing boxes" abovethe roofs of the buildings. The "boxes" consist of afalsework the length and width of the building andextending approximately 8 feet above it, coveredwith plywood and sealed with plastic or canvas. The"boxes" serve three functions: they displace theirvolume of snow, which greatly reduces the load onthe buildings' roof; they remove snow from directcontact with the roof, which helps prevent snow-melt and leakage problems; and they provide a muchlarger area for the dissipation of heat which escapesfrom the building roof and tends to cause densifica-tion and melting of the snow. Two additional pro-jects completed at South Pole Station by ASA per-sonnel were the construction of a new generatorbuilding and a new building for the OIC office, ship'sstore, and post office. Excessive settling of the oldgenerator building forced construction of the newone. South Pole Station, which was built during the1956-1957 season for the International GeophysicalYear, was originally designed to last three years. Nowentering into its 14th year, it is almost certain thatthe station will require a large rehabilitative efforteach year until the replacement station, scheduled tobe started in Deep Freeze 72, is completed.

Byrd Station was the site of several constructionprojects during the season. The combined ASA/CBU-201 rehabilitation crew worked on such pro-

' Approximately 29 17b of the building's interior was com-pleted.

jects as tunnel-arch removal and ice cutting, andenlargement of the new plenum chamber. The ASAPublic Works field team also accomplished a num-ber of projects of this type at the station. Two con-struction projects completed by CBU-201 were thegenerator waste-heat recovery system and raising ofthe balloon-inflation building. The waste-heat re-covery system now provides heating for most of thestation. The balloon-inflation building, which ismounted on extendable legs, was raised 9 feet inorder to keep it above the ever-increasing snowlevel.

Palmer Station

A major construction effort was again conductedat Palmer Station by CBU-201's 28-man Construc-tion Platoon Alpha. The Palmer warehouse/garage/recreation facility was completed and now providesmodern berthing spaces for 18 persons, a recreationroom complete with pool and ping-pong tables, anamateur radio room, a power plant with two 150-kwgenerators, a fully equipped garage, and much badlyneeded storage space.

Additional projects completed at Palmer includedthe rework and maintenance of the existing stationbuildings and an extensive cleanup of the areawhich included dismantling of the Seabee construc-tion camp.

Future Construction

Major construction projects planned for DeepFreeze 71 at McMurdo include the realignment ofScott Base Road; installation of another incrementof the Elliott Quay wharf-protective facing; com-pletion of the administration-operations building;construction of three new buildings; and installationof a communications cable network and a thirdwater-distillation unit. Design of a sewage-treatmentplant and an incinerator for McMurdo has beencompleted. These pollution-abatement facilities arescheduled for procurement in Deep Freeze 71 andconstruction in Deep Freeze 72. At least a portionof the Williams Field 180-man berthing complex,which missed shipment to McMurdo in Deep Freeze70 due to late delivery, is expected to be shipped anderected in Deep Freeze 71.

Further in the future is the establishment of awinter-over facility at Siple Station in Deep Freeze72. Current plans include rehabilitation, expansion,and relocation of the Byrd long-wire substation toSiple. The substation will be moved from its presentlocation to McMurdo in Deep Freeze 71, undergorehabilitation and expansion during the Deep Freeze71 winter-over period, and then moved to Siple earlyin the Deep Freeze 72 season.

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The design for the new South Pole Station is nowvirtually complete; and the majority of the exterior"shell' components of the station have already beenprocured and shipped to McMurdo. Actual construc-tion of the station is scheduled to begin in DeepFreeze 72.

Key Construction Personnel

Task Force 43 Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil En-gineering—Comdr. Archer E. Church, CEC, USNto January 14, 1970; thereafter Lt. Comdr.Thomas L. Boennighausen, CEC, USN.

Officer-in-Charge, NCBU-201—Lt. John E. Perry,Jr., CEC, USN.

Antarctica-A Study inTechnological Impact

HENRY M. DATER

HistorianU.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica

The history of the Antarctic goes back a little over200 years, although the quest for a great southerncontinent is much older. The Greeks, with a pro-found belief in symmetry, assumed that the existenceof such a continent was necessary to balance the landmasses of the north. They even had a name for it—Antarctica, the opposite of Arctic or Bear, their namefor the constellation that included the North Star.

Although islands within the Antarctic Con-vergence had been discovered before his epoch-making voyage, Captain James Cook, Royal Navy, isthe real founder of antarctic history. Between theyears 1772 and 1775, he circumnavigated the Ant-arctic Continent in high southern latitudes withouteven sighting it. He neither proved nor disproved theexistence of the mythical southern land, but he dem-onstrated that it did not exist in an area inhabitableby man and thus disposed of the dream of a con-tinent densely inhabited and endowed with resources.In fact, Cook, after trying in vain to penetrate the icepack, came to the conclusion that, if indeed therewas land behind the barrier, it was not worth dis-covering, and he seriously doubted that men wouldsail further south than he had done.

Despite his gloomy and erroneous inferences, Cookremains one of the great navigators of all time. Fromthe viewpoint that I intend to approach the historyof Antarctica, he is important not so much for whathe did or did not do, as for the way in which he didit. The heir of five centuries of great voyagers, heknew well the lessons of the past. To them, he added

' Modified from a Presidential Address given before theAntarctican Society, May 13, 1970.

the technical know-how of his own enlightened cen-tury. The compass to determine direction and thelog to measure speed, both Jong known, he supple-mented with the sextant and the chronometer, whichmade possible relatively accurate course laying andlocation keeping. Somewhat empirically, but never-theless efficaciously, he dealt with scurvy, that age-old scourge of mariners, by using preserved vege-tables (mostly pickles and sauerkraut) and malt andherb extracts. He applied the latest techniques ofnaval hygiene which, among other things, meantthat he made his sailors air their bedding periodi-cally, and also that he knew how to delouse a ship.Finally, he chose his vessels carefully, selecting as hismodels the colliers that carried coal down the eastcoast of England from Newcastle to London. Theirsturdy construction served to fend the blows of ice orunexpected groundings, and their shallow draft wasideal for navigating uncharted waters.

It is paradoxical that none of Cook's successors,as long as ships depended upon sail for motive power,were better equipped than he. Actually, the littleships of the British and American sealers, who mayhave been the first to sight Antarctica, had vesselsbetter adapted to polar navigation than the warshipsused by Dumont d'Urville and Wilkes. The large,square gun ports of their vessels admitted both coldair and frigid water, making their interiors a livinghorror. The only expedition equipped in a fashioncomparable to that of Cook was also outfitted by theRoyal Navy. Relying upon British experience in theArctic, the commander, Sir James Clark Ross, chosehis vessels carefully and had them especially strength-ened for work in the ice. As a result, he alone of thegreat early nineteenth century explorers dared plungeinto the ice. When he did, he broke through the packinto the sea that now bears his name, and sailedfarther south than any man before him. He went, infact, about as far south as it is possible to go, up tothe great ice shelf.

Reading Ross' narrative, however, quickly revealsthe difficulty of maneuvering sailing ships throughthe ice. The constant alternations of course, with theneed to change sails, quickly exhausted the crew. Itis no wonder that a few years later, when Ross' ships

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