Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01343:front:0:p54
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01343
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 139268–141952

exceptionally harsh weather. The Absolute Magnetic Hut has been subject to only minor intervention for stabilisation, however the Transit Hut has been installed with a portal frame to provide greater stability. The portal frame has been attached to the original hut frame and was designed in such a way that it would not need to be attached to the original floor, and offers the least interference with the original fabric and the sense of decay over time.

The memorial cross is in good condition. Its condition has been secured by the frequent restoration of the cross arm after it was repeatedly blown off, and the removal of the eroded original plaque which has been replaced by a reconstruction. The overall integrity of the structure may therefore be viewed as medium.

2.7.1 Wall and Roof Cladding

The original roof claddings of the Main Hut and Magnetograph House are elements of high integrity in poor condition – the eroded original roof boards are now encapsulated beneath new timber over-cladding. Abrasion of the roof cladding by wind-driven ice, coupled with the large spans between supports for the cladding, meant that the roofs on the workshop of the Main Hut and the Magnetograph Hut were close to failure when inspected in 1997. Both roofs have since been over-clad. This intervention secured the structural integrity of the buildings at the cost of some of the value embodied by a feeling of time elapsed and exposure to the elements.

Over-cladding of the workshop roof was completed in 1998 on the basis that structural failure was likely due to the abrasion of the original timber boards, from a thickness of 16 mm to less than 10 mm. This work preserved the structure, provided additional diaphragm bracing and reduced snow ingress. It also produced some unintended consequences. The first was visual. The original work plan was changed and the new boards were placed over the top of the old boards. This change in methodology meant that the Intergrain™ coating on the new boards lasted longer than expected and impacted on the appearance of the workshop roof until the coating was sanded off in 2011. The other consequence was the loss of all but three of the original battens that were refixed on top of the over-cladding, due to the failure of nails and silicon.

Over-cladding of the living section of the Main Hut roof which had thicker (25 mm) boards but was also deteriorating (the edges and corners had abraded at the rate of 1 mm every ten years since construction), was completed in December 2006, in a manner which entirely encompasses the boards. Over-cladding was considered the only remaining option to secure the interior from future snow/ice