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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/11853| Title: | Investigation of subsurface drainage at BMEWS facility, Thule, Greenland |
| Authors: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. New York District. McAnerney, John M. |
| Keywords: | Foundations Building Construction Cold regions Cold weather conditions Greenland Permafrost Frozen ground Subsurface drainage Drainage Seepage Ditch Sinkhole |
| Publisher: | Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Special report (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.)) ; 111. |
| Description: | Special Report Abstract: As a consequence of thaw cavities (sinkholes) which formed in the drainage ditch at Scanner 6 of the BMEWS facility, Greenland, in 1962, the U.S. Army Engineer District, New York, in the autumn of that year, contracted for rebuilding the damaged ditch. In 1963 the program was expanded to include borings under foundations, installation of thermocouples, levels on footings of buildings and antennas, dye tests to trace subsurface flow, and inspection of the entire surface drainage system. A representative from USA CRREL was at the site from 5 August to 5 September to evaluate the relation of sinkholes to adjacent foundations and to direct installation of thermocouples. Field work accomplished from August through 6 October 1963 comprised 38 diamond drill (NXM) borings refrigerated for extracting frozen cores; 4 dye tests for seepage studies; 23 thermocouple strings installed under 12 structures; initial elevation readings on all foundations in the technical site; aerial photographs in stereo at low altitudes; and inspection of ditches and all heated buildings for settlement or distress. From this, the conclusions drawn are that the thaw cavities do not extend under adjacent foundations, but are confined to the ditch bottom; the drainage diversion and ditch repair as accomplished provides an adequate solution to the problem; seepages northeast of the site were not connected with the ditch; sinkholes found elsewhere are of similar origin but are not dangerous to existing structures and can be repaired easily. It is recommended that thermocouples be read monthly, surface disturbances near structures be rapaired promptly, and levels on footings be run semi-annually. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/11853 |
| Appears in Collections: | Special Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR-111.pdf | 3.07 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |