Army engineers deploy to ice

A light engineering team (LET) from 2 ER has deployed to McMurdo Station to complete a number of tasks.

McMurdo Station is three km west of Scott Base in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. The station accommodates up to 1,200 personnel from USAP and is a self-sufficient site, resupplied by an annual supply ship during the summer months. The number of personnel fluctuates throughout the seasons with approximately 1,000 during summer and as few as 200 over winter. The station has been in location since the 1950s and has a number of aging buildings that require either repair or demolition.

The LET will look at, amongst other tasks, re-levelling utilities pipeline stanchions. A permanent utility pipeline runs from McMurdo Station to the shore-line on the eastern side of Ross Island. The pipeline is essential to the operation of both McMurdo Station and Scott Base as it transports fuel, water and electrical lines. The permanent pipeline is supported approximately 1m above the ground by adjustable steel supports. Many stanchions supporting the fuel pipeline running between Scott Base and McMurdo Station have become disjointed due to the freezethaw process. This has caused the pipeline to “float” in the air in a number of locations putting great stress on the pipeline and reducing the flow. The work will involve re-levelling the current stanchions over approximately three km of pipeline.

The sappers will replace some exterior windows in one building, and will build a partial wall in the Firehouse. The USAP has requested that an internal wall be constructed in the Firehouse apparatus bay. This will provide a space for emergency responders to hang/ store equipment in a readily accessible location for callouts. The task provides good training value for carpenters and supports an operational output of McMurdo Station.

A Variable Multiple Flow boiler which is old and decommissioned will be removed from Building 143.