From: system@coldbox.cojones.com (Bryan Lockwood)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: LA on the Tundra
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 19:07:41 PDT
Organization: The Generation Gap

bj368@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mike E. Romano) writes:

> 
> I am (somewhat regrettably) the one who originated the "LA on the Tundra"
> discussion.   However it has elicited some noteworthy responses, at
> least in my view...current information about wind power, the true
> value of the tundra (not to be disturbed if at all possible), and
> the discussion of typical Alaskan architecture.
> I have never been to Alaska, but the p;ictures I've seen show most
> often very simple nondescript buildings.  I know building is expensive
> but I was hoping that creative discussions in these areas might actually
> yield new and better solutions.

Well, I at least applaud your intention if not the specific idea.

One would think that it's a simple thing to design a building for the Arctic:
just build a regular building, then put REALLY big heaters in it and insulate
the hell out of it.

As a person who maintains Arctic buildings for a living, I'm here to tell you
it just isn't that simple. A building is a system of interactive parts. You
need systems for heat, insulation, roofing, windows, water/power/comm
distribution, waste collection (sewage and solid waste), moisture ejection,
humidification, air intake and exhaust, doors, power backup, etc ad
infinitum.

All this before you've even decided what the building's function will be...
then you have to tailor it to the function.

Turns out that we run into some interesting problems up here. First, it's
cold. So we insulate a lot and put in a great vapor barrier (which is, in
effect, a wind and snow barrier for most of the winter. This immediately
creates two problems: you need to get air in and moisture out. So you build
systems to eject moisture and bring in air (but preheat it to an acceptable
temperature first!). You also work on getting a good tight seal around your
smokestack and an efficient burn from the boilers (which saves fuel and also
cuts down on corrosive buildup in the stack).

Next problem: every time you open a door, all the heat runs out. So you build
airlock-type entries. You make sure to install good weatherstripping and
maintain it regularly. Then you find a snowdrift on your porch. So you orient
and shape the building in such a way as to put the snowdrifts where they'll
be out of the way. You also make sure your air intakes won't fill with
blowing snow.

Now we're left with getting water in and waste out. No in-ground sewers or
water pipes (too expensive to do it right), so you build insulated utiliducts,
or use a truck to deliver water and haul sewage.

Summer comes. The ice on the roof reverts to its liquid state, and finds its
way through all the cracks in your roof, which are caused by the continuous
expansion, contraction, and movement of the building (remember, it's anchored
in ice, which you make sure not to melt with building heat, but even so, the
ice does move with the seasons). Another factor in building movement is the
water tank: it goes from being extremely heavy to being fairly light.. which
imposes some stress on the building. Now you have leaks. And the doors don't
fit right anymore. And cracks in drywall.

And so on. I've barely scratched the surface of the problems associated with
building in the Arctic. A real dilly is when paint FALLS OFF the building in
big chunks... it froze, cracked, and simply fell off! We're still learning,
and we have a long way to go before we build truly Arctic buildings. It's no
wonder our maintenance effort is so intense and costly. An example: these
days, good windows cost around $1000 APIECE! And yet they are worth it when
you do a cost analysis, because over their lifetimes they will save that much
in heat retention.

The building I run is essentially self-contained. With no external power or
other utility services, I could lock the doors, and provide a comfortable
living environment for up to 100 people for over a month. Sometimes I think
of it as an earthbound spaceship. And it has to be this way, for various
reasons.

OOK! I better close before this gets too monotonous...

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