Detailing and Erection of a Steel Building in the Remote Arctic with Materials Sourced from the US and Europe

At a remote US air base in northern Greenland, 700 miles inside the Arctic Circle, a Danish Contractor worked with US engineers and US materials to construct a radar tower and supporting equipment building. Problems with site access, material shipping constraints, a short construction season, and aggressive project delivery schedule necessitated a change to European building materials partway through the building erection. The changes were not routine substitutions because the structure needed to withstand extreme sub-freezing temperatures and wind conditions. The designer, owner, contractor, and fabricator worked closely during construction to select materials suitable for arctic conditions; re-detail a building designed with US steel shapes to utilize European steel shapes; detail connections between the elevated US steel floor frame and European steel superstructure; design components and cladding for high wind pressures; meet a tight fabrication and material delivery schedule; and collaborate to address multiple technical, delivery, and constructability challenges.

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