ADAMANKIEWICZ ARCHITECT
Fig.1. Top view
PROJECT
Construction details The designed building located in a snow hole is made up of two elements: the telescope part, including the necessary apparatus as well as the living-research part which includes the laboratories and telescope controls. A steel truss covered by an OSB plate is an integral part of the telescope. It is attached to a steel pylon propped up on 12 hydraulic legs using steel cables, as well as being attached up to 8 meters below the surface using 12 steel ropes. The ropes are lengthened at the moment when the building is lifted.
The living-research part is constructed via hydraulic legs, attached to these are steel cross-beams, purlins and OSB plates linked with silicone - which function as roofing layers. A natural
Basement Level -1
Fig.2. Basement Level -1
ice foundation was used in the construction. Both parts are dilatated from each other which is strictly linked to the isolation of the telescope from the areas meant for human dwelling. At the same time they are synchronized using a system which manages the lifting of the building including the annual build up of snow (approx. 10-20 cm/year), which is compressed as it accumulates in the snow hole. A garage has been designed underneath the living-research part, it can be reached from the surface via a ramp, covered by steel hatches and panelling, opened through a system of hoists attached to external portals. The foundations of the hydraulic legs consist of open, steel bins, reaching 0.5 meters into the base in order to gain stability. They are additionally safeguarded by a layer of OSB plates from the snow. The OSB layer plays the role of an isolator. To ensure horizontal stability and the depession of the snow, vertical frames from USB plates are also present on the circumference of the snow hole and they reach a depth of 1.5 meters. There also exists the possibility of adding a pneumatic dome into the telescope part to add additional protection against possible extreme weather.
Fig.3. Basement Level -2
Installations 1. Water-sewage Water is gained from the snow using excess heat from diesel generators as well as from the energy created by renewable sources such as sun batteries or special fans. These sources support the generators and help low heat emission.
Water is gained in two ways. The first method is based on the mechanical delivery of snow to a melting machine which is located in one of the containers in the technical rooms. Here the snow is melted through heat created by the generator. Part of the water gained goes to a fresh water tank and the rest cools the generator thus gaining its heat and falls into the hot water tank. The second source of water is snow which accumulated on the surface of the dome. It is melted using heated tubing and then as water stored in another fresh water tank. Water stored in these containers in the winter lasts for 3-5 days and for 2 days in the summer. The maximum amount of water for one day is 100 litres per person. If pressurized toilets and spray taps are used this can be reduced by half. Three generators were designed in the building. Two are active for the whole year and one is only active in the summer period. Water is used for
Fig.4. Basement Level -3
all the building's functions, from the kitchen and sanitary machinery to other activities where recycled water is used. The water recycling system is strictly linked to research carried out by international organizations such as NASA and the European Space Agency - ESA. The research is used to find methods to recycle water used on space stations. This has directly to do with the place where observatory is to be built - the environmental conditions on the Antarctic are close to those present on Mars.
Contaminated water is designated into two water types - black water (excreted by humans) and gray water (showers, water used in the kitchen and in taps). The recycling system as well as the sawage system are based on chemical and biological cleaning in order that the water may be reused. Gray water is cleaned through a process of advanced membrane technologyt using ultraviolet and reverse osmosis. Black water has to be given up to microbiological processes additionally. Part of the cleaned water is pumped out by a pipe with a 50mm diameter and 80 meter length located in the snow and heated, the rest goes back to the tanks to be reused. A sewage system will also be in place, this is designed to get rid of harmful wastage which contains bacteria - this will be dried and transported out in sealed containers.
Fig.5. Basement Level -3.5
2. Energy, heating, ventilation, air conditioning Energy will be created by generators as well as using sources of renewable energy such as batteries and wind turbines. These are key in the production of low emission fuel. Wind turbines with a power capacity of 20kW with built in elements protecting them from snow build up are spread out at a distance of 100 meters from each other. Cables from the wind turbines are fixed to the station on poles. Solar energy will be changed into electricity using photovoltaic solar cells and into heating through the solar thermal panels. All the cables will be placed into rubber covered silicone in a fire proof material. It is assumed that the cables will be made from PCV which decreases the fire and smoke hazard. The use of electricity and heating will be controlled by a large energy managing system. This system will manage energy which will be divided according to certain priorities using the optimal amount of wind energy, even though most of the heating processes, ventilation as well as snow melting and water heating will happen using energy that comes from generators.
The managing system will also be responsible for switching the second generator on and off and warning in case of emergencies. A UPS machine - emergency power generator, will also be installed. The building will contain a heating-air conditioning system. Fresh air taken from outside will be spread to all the rooms using a spacial air ventilation system.
Fig.6. Basement Level -4
3. Fuel Fuel containers will be located by the building and linked tto the generators via a fuel pipe. Approximately 294,000 litres of fuel is needed per year with some 21,000 litres of this being used to power vehicles. Fuel stores are predicted to last for 2 years. Additionally it is expected that some 10,000 litres of oil will be needed (gearbox, enging, carburettor and hydraulic fluids), some 2,000 litres of this will be used to power the hydraulic legs. Oil will be stored in canisters and cans in the garage.
Fig.7. Cross section C-C
4. Wastage The station will be designed so that rubbish is segregated. The wastage container will be located in the cold area of the station. At the preliminary stage the rubbish is sorted in the sorting zone which consists of apparatus such as a paper, glass and plastic compressor as well as a tank for liquid wastage. The tank is disinfected using UV light and the created slime put into 801 polypropylene bags and dried in a drying cupboard in the container. The reduced wastage is then placed in 301 polypropylene containers and stored in the wastage container. Other wastage materials such as oil, hydraulic and chemical liquids are stored in separate specially labelled containers.
Fig.8. Cross section D-D
Building details The flat roof area, which is above the snow level, is finished using titanium panels, filled with polyisocyanurate and attached on steel cross sections to the main hub of the building. The other external areas are covered with titanium steel sheets, attached with ricets to the steel substructure.
OSB plates linked by silicone are placed on the roof grid which covers the garage. They are covered by a 10cm layer of snow.
Additionally photovoltaic batteries are elements which are seen on the surface off the roof.
The 'crater' contains an inflated pneumatic lift shalf. The see through 'jacket' of the sheft is made from a two layer polymer covering which is strengthened by nanotubes and filled with argon gas (Ar). The gas, due to its good isolating properties, will also be used in the in-between space of the double glazing.
A membrane which stretches between the main mirror and the external suspended zone of the 'crater' is made from a two layers polymer covering strengthened by nanotubes filled this time
Fig.9. Cross section G-G
with aerogel. The membrane does not let light through and is fixed using special steel structure handles.
Compressed snow will be used to build the walls of the ditch in which the observatory is located.
The main finishing material for the interiors are plates made from aramid fibre (Nomex), impregnated with resin. This material is used in the air industry to finish the interior walls of planes. The plates are fixed to the construction system and are additionally covered by self adhesive foil (Tedlar), available in various colours.
Most of the rooms are located in specially designed containers, framed in a steel construction with a closed thin-walled profile, with thermal isolation from polyisocyanurate foam, with the floor being made from stainess steel.
Cross section of the telescope
Fig.10. Cross section A-A
An additional thermal material is the aerogel blanket. The material is used in the construction of space ships and space stations, with a 70 times smaller heat permeability than the currently used materials. Due to the huge costs involved in its production as well as its experimental nature, the blanket will only be used to cover the surfaces in the 'crater' zone. Information about the way it functions will be accumulated and analyzed in order to perfect the material used by ESA and NASA.
Fig.11. Cross section B-B
Fig.12. Once a year, in the summer season, the observatory is lifted by 10-20 cm thus keeping it above the snow surface.