> Everything here in Antarctica that isn’t built on rock will inevitably sink into the snow sooner or later.
>
> The Neumayer Station has a sophisticated solution for this: the entire station rests on 16 stilts (2 hydraulic cylinder and a spindle, bipods) and is additionally braced on all sides against the ice.
>
> We align the station every week to ensure that it is always on level ground. Every now and then, one of the bipods wanders off – then it’s time to lift and realign.
>
> In addition, the station is raised by about 2 meters each year during summer season using a similar procedure.
Video:@bernerthomass
izza123 on
This is one of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen, if it is indeed considered a building, I’d argue in court it’s a gondola. At any rate I like it.
Zealousideal-Shoe527 on
How do they power the station?
AeonSandwich on
would they not be considered tripods?
Tototodayjr on
“Ice wall you say….”
-flat earther somewhere
Renbarre on
A truly interesting video.
BarknPantnSniffer02 on
Oh damn that is fascinating! Thank you for sharing and cover those pneumonia holes
ReekyRumpFedRatsbane on
To be exact, it’s Neumayer Station III.
The first two consisted of steel tubes, and while that meant they could withstand the pressure of the ice and snow and remain operational for a while even after they had sunk underground, eventually they got so deep they had to be given up.
Interestingly, the first one has actually risen back up a bit, and 6½ years ago the scientists from Neumayer Station III found the exit of its staircase tower above the ice, but the structure was too damaged to safely go all the way down into the tubes again.
Infamous_Phase7626 on
Hoth
pulukes88 on
fascinating! but i have to say that since you are doing this regularly, it looks like you need a more efficient way to remove the snow under the stilts and to blow new snow under it. it seems to be the most tiring part of the process.
DamnOdd on
How long does the entire process take?
echochilde on
Duuuude, modern engineering is so cool.
New-Vast9965 on
Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes…
from time to time.
cybercuzco on
Why would you not just fill the area underneath with water?
It_Just_Might_Work on
So this building sits on 16 leg assemblies, each of which is actually comprised of 3 loaded members that make a single contact point with the ground, and they went with bipod?
TheFinalGranny on
Having a snow-making machine in Antarctica is pretty funny
Level-Playing-Field on
“bipod” = 3 legs?
CanoegunGoeff on
One of my favorite things about the arctic is that people struggled for decades to build custom purpose built vehicles and modified tractors, and dealt with life threatening challenges, only for modern times to just send a Toyota Hilux and call it good
IndieStu on
I was lucky enough to have been at Neumayer 3. unfortunately we only had about 30 minutes before we had to go back so there was no time to visit the garage! Inside is cool as well. And one of the craziest places I’ve been!
beauh44x on
All that hard work, only for The Thing to show up
Helfette on
I always release my safety nut before going on a date.
AndreasOp on
I know the guy who engineered the system. The measurement system of the inclination is quite funny. As inclination sensors would not be accurate enough, they put water tubes accross the whole station and measure the height of the water at each end of the station and determine the inclination based on this.
macnutz22 on
How much do these guys get paid and what’s their title
Farfignugen42 on
OK, but why is it called a bipod if there are sixteen of them or if there are three hydraulic jacks holding it in place, not two?
J_blanke on
It’s all fun and games until a husky shows up at camp.
cvc75 on
3d printer bed leveling on steroids.
Due_Split_8193 on
I really appreciate the lack of music in this video.
27 Comments
From OP
> Everything here in Antarctica that isn’t built on rock will inevitably sink into the snow sooner or later.
>
> The Neumayer Station has a sophisticated solution for this: the entire station rests on 16 stilts (2 hydraulic cylinder and a spindle, bipods) and is additionally braced on all sides against the ice.
>
> We align the station every week to ensure that it is always on level ground. Every now and then, one of the bipods wanders off – then it’s time to lift and realign.
>
> In addition, the station is raised by about 2 meters each year during summer season using a similar procedure.
Video:@bernerthomass
This is one of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen, if it is indeed considered a building, I’d argue in court it’s a gondola. At any rate I like it.
How do they power the station?
would they not be considered tripods?
“Ice wall you say….”
-flat earther somewhere
A truly interesting video.
Oh damn that is fascinating! Thank you for sharing and cover those pneumonia holes
To be exact, it’s Neumayer Station III.
The first two consisted of steel tubes, and while that meant they could withstand the pressure of the ice and snow and remain operational for a while even after they had sunk underground, eventually they got so deep they had to be given up.
Interestingly, the first one has actually risen back up a bit, and 6½ years ago the scientists from Neumayer Station III found the exit of its staircase tower above the ice, but the structure was too damaged to safely go all the way down into the tubes again.
Hoth
fascinating! but i have to say that since you are doing this regularly, it looks like you need a more efficient way to remove the snow under the stilts and to blow new snow under it. it seems to be the most tiring part of the process.
How long does the entire process take?
Duuuude, modern engineering is so cool.
Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes…
from time to time.
Why would you not just fill the area underneath with water?
So this building sits on 16 leg assemblies, each of which is actually comprised of 3 loaded members that make a single contact point with the ground, and they went with bipod?
Having a snow-making machine in Antarctica is pretty funny
“bipod” = 3 legs?
One of my favorite things about the arctic is that people struggled for decades to build custom purpose built vehicles and modified tractors, and dealt with life threatening challenges, only for modern times to just send a Toyota Hilux and call it good
I was lucky enough to have been at Neumayer 3. unfortunately we only had about 30 minutes before we had to go back so there was no time to visit the garage! Inside is cool as well. And one of the craziest places I’ve been!
All that hard work, only for The Thing to show up
I always release my safety nut before going on a date.
I know the guy who engineered the system. The measurement system of the inclination is quite funny. As inclination sensors would not be accurate enough, they put water tubes accross the whole station and measure the height of the water at each end of the station and determine the inclination based on this.
How much do these guys get paid and what’s their title
OK, but why is it called a bipod if there are sixteen of them or if there are three hydraulic jacks holding it in place, not two?
It’s all fun and games until a husky shows up at camp.
3d printer bed leveling on steroids.
I really appreciate the lack of music in this video.