Highlights ► Warm weather and heavy use impact snow road condition at McMurdo Station. ► Experiments examine turning, speed, acceleration, and braking impact on snow. ► Antarctic transport vehicles, tire type and tire inflation pressure were considered. ► Procedures for measuring vehicle impact on snow roads were developed. ► Dynamic maneuvers on snow road test course yielded the most discerning results.

    Abstract The snow roads at McMurdo Station are the primary transport corridors to move personnel and material from the airfields servicing intra- and inter-continental air traffic for resupply. Thus, they are a critical transportation component and are particularly susceptible to deterioration during the warmest parts of the austral summer when above-freezing temperatures can occur for several days at a time. This study served to explore methodology that could quantify the impact of various vehicles, tires, driving speeds and maneuvers on the snow road conditions. Basic maneuvers were used to isolate the impact of turning, acceleration, braking and speed using spirals, circles, and straight-line testing on a flat, smooth snow pavement. In addition, a road course was set up to include corners and roughness using portions of the active snow roads for more realistic conditions. Measurements included snow surface strength both in and between tire tracks, tire track rut depth and width, and the height and width of the resulting snow piles adjacent to the tire tracks. Results indicate the impacts of driving speed and vehicle type including the importance of the tire and suspension components for preserving the road surfaces through the melt season. Since this type of testing had not been done on snow before, or using these vehicle types, the experiments yielded valuable guidance regarding what types of maneuvers, test surfaces, and measurements could most easily differentiate performance.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Measuring vehicle impacts on snow roads


    Contributors:
    Shoop, S. (author) / Knuth, M. (author) / Wieder, W. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2013-01-01


    Size :

    9 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Measuring vehicle impacts on snow roads

    Shoop,S. / Knuth,M. / Wieder,W. et al. | Automotive engineering | 2013


    Measuring vehicle impacts on snow roads

    Shoop, S. | Online Contents | 2013


    Removing snow from mountain roads

    Engineering Index Backfile | 1928


    Snow roads and ice landings

    Engineering Index Backfile | 1962


    Vehicle Impact Testing of Snow Roads at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

    A.S Shoop / A.M Knuth / L.W Wieder et al. | NTIS | 2014