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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/5511| Title: | Engineering assessment of Big House at Summit Station, Greenland : final report |
| Authors: | Barna, Lynette A. Claffey, Keran J. Buska, James S. Mercer, Jennifer L. |
| Keywords: | Buildings--Energy conservation Infrared heating Snow |
| Publisher: | Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | ERDC/CRREL ; TR-11-10 |
| Abstract: | An infrared (IR) assessment was conducted of the main administration building located at Summit Station, Greenland. The building, known as the “Big House,” was constructed in 1989 on a permanent snowfield at the apex of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Summit Station typically receives 65 cm of annual snowfall. Accumulating snow combined with blowing and drifting can completely bury a structure in several years. For this reason, the Big House is elevated above the snow surface on steel support columns and it is periodically lifted to maintain clearance above the snow surface. The Big House has been lifted four times for a combined total height of 15 m. The lifting process can damage buildings by causing racking. This IR survey was conducted to identify existing deficiencies in the building that may diminish the energy efficiency or compromise the structural performance, reducing the building’s service life. This evaluation found that, in the extreme climate where the Big House is located, the structure is performing quite well after 20 years of service. The most significant issue is heat loss in localized areas through the building envelope. No major structural issues were observed. |
| Description: | Technical Report |
| Gov't Doc #: | ERDC/CRREL TR-11-10 |
| Rights: | Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/5511 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRREL-TR-11-10.pdf | 12.85 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |