Literature Review on Building Envelope, Heating and ... - Beeshive.org

• The construction time window is limited in summer to about 110 days from
November 1 to February 15, during which there are 24 hours of sunlight and the
warmest yearly temperatures. Careful sequencing of summer work is crucial for the
success of the following winter work. During the winter months, February 16 to
November 1, construction work is performed from inside the structure, because of the
extreme temperatures and continual darkness (four months of total darkness).
• Material transport and storage is a problem.
Snow Drifting
Several publications (Waechter and Williams, 1999; Delpech et al., 1998; Kwok et al.,
1992, 1993), addressed snow drifting around Antarctic buildings. Waechter and Williams
(1999) presented design guidance for snow drifting for the new US station. They
discussed the various design recommendations resulting from various analysis
techniques, which included three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics, water
plume snow simulation (using sand and water to reproduce snowdrifts), and wind-tunnel
testing. Analysis included the effect of different building shapes and features on
snowdrift deposition patterns. Recommended snowdrift design guidance included three
suggestions.
• Elevate buildings sufficiently above the snow surface.
• Orient a row of linked buildings perpendicular to the prevailing winds.
• Understand that snow drifting will invariably occur; therefore, sensitive activities
should be located away from the snow deposition area.
Delpech et al. (1998) used real snow in a climatic wind tunnel to investigate windinduced
snow drifting around the Concordia station in Antarctica, which consisted of two
cylindrical buildings connected by a gangway. Each building is three floors high, 17 m
(56 ft.) in diameter, and is elevated on six piles with hydraulic jacks for height
adjustment. To alleviate the snowdrift hazard around the buildings, they investigated
various types of attachments to the buildings that would accelerate the airflow under and
between the two cylindrical buildings. Accelerating the airflow reduces snow deposition
and blows the snow away from the building to the leeward direction. Attachments
investigated included:
• a horizontal rounded streamlining edge at the bottom of the building on the windward
side, which accelerates the airflow under the building;
• guide vane walls fitted on each side of the cylindrical buildings from the floor to the
ground surface; and
• an optional attachment to the gangway between the two buildings made of vertical
rounded walls, which speeds up the airflow between the two buildings.
Delpech et al. (1998) concluded that the most effective configuration was the long guide
vane on each side of the buildings.
PERD-079: Task 2 - <strong>Literature</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 54