Binders for Snow Roads and Runways in Antarctica

Abstract

The effects of adding wood as a binder material to snow is discussed in this paper. Wood/snow pavement test sections were constructed in the antarctic at two sites, McMurdo and Amundsen, Scott South Pole Stations. Temperature conditions at McMurdo Station were near freezing, while South Pole Station had constant subfreezing temperatures. Test sections were monitored during the austral summer of 1986–87 and again during the 1988 season. Rammsonde penetrometer, density, and temperature profiles were used to evalute material behavior. Results indicate how snow pavements depend upon temperature history, initial material properties, and construction‐processing techniques. Solar radiation affected the surface sections at McMurdo by causing melt to occur, since temperatures were near freezing. Satisfactory strengths, for supporting wheeled aircraft, were obtained at depths below 20 cm at both stations. Evidence shows that with an improved surface‐processing technique, such as heat processing, ample strength may be obtained to support wheeled aircraft landing in the antarctic.