PROJECT
61
By Ilana Koegelenberg, DPW, and Royal HaskoningDHV
DPW teams started the construction of the SANAE IV
base during the 1995/1996 Antarctic summer season,
and construction and commissioning were completed
during the 1996/1997 season.
The base had to remain fully operational during the
refurbishment process. The existing power, water, heating,
and effluent systems could not be switched off for more
than a day without seriously impacting on the day-to-day
operations of the base (and risk freezing up). Also, it was
crucial that the base remained operational to enable the
Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA’s) scientific
teams to continue with their research programmes.
Energy-saving measures had to be implemented. This
required that systems be designed using the latest
available technology. The requirement for energy-saving
measures is critical, as the transport of year teams,
maintenance/construction teams, food, consumables,
fuel, and so on, is limited to the Antarctic summer period
(December to February) of each year.
SANAE IV has been constructed on a rocky outcrop
named Vesles Karvet (Norwegian) and consists of
Blocks A, B, and C. Block A consists of accommodation
and ablution facilities on the second level, with
offices, laboratories, and a medical facility with an
operating theatre on the first floor. Block B consists of
accommodation, entertainment, and ablution facilities
on the second level, with the kitchen, dining room,
stores, and waste room located on the first floor. Part
of Block C consists of a double-volume hangar area
and helipad for the helicopters, while the balance of
Block C houses plant rooms for the generators and
heat recovery systems, the wastewater treatment plant,
workshop, stores, offices, and a gymnasium, all located
on the second level. Systems and equipment had to be easily maintainable
and previous problems experienced with systems had
to be addressed — for example, a typical problem
experienced is the loading of the old effluent plant
between takeovers (10 people during the year versus the
summer personnel complement of ± 90 people).
The base had been in continuous operation for 24 hours
a day, seven days a week since 1997; meaning, the
base had been in operation around the clock for 14
years when DPW commenced with the planning of the
refurbishment in 2012 (18 years when the refurbishment
commenced at the end of 2015). The operational period
can really be appreciated by comparing this period with
a similar local facility that typically operates 8–12 hours
a day, weekdays only. By comparison, it can be said that
the SANAE IV facility and systems had had the equivalent
runtime of 45 years. The old plant room could only be demolished after the
successful commissioning of the new systems. Other
systems and plant rooms had to be relocated in a similar
way to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the base.
CLIENT BRIEF
DPW’s brief for the refurbishment of the base required,
among other things, the following:
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
GETTING STARTED
Following an investigation of the current situation
and lengthy planning, DPW and Royal HaskoningDHV
completed the refurbishment documentation process
early in 2015. The existing workshop was identified as
the new main plant room. The workshop was temporarily
moved to the hangar while things like the new generator
sets, pumps, tanks, and heat exchangers were installed.
One of the biggest challenges was actually getting
to the base and getting all the equipment there. As
mentioned, SANAE IV can only be reached during the
Antarctic summer season, either via the S.A. Agulhas
departing Cape Town and offloading at the German
base Neumayer, or by plane, landing at the Russian
base Novolazarevskaya, with a second flight (smaller
plane) from there to SANAE IV. The equipment had to be
specified to survive being exposed to the harsh -20°C
conditions during transport.
South Africa has a long and successful history in
Antarctica, contributing significantly in the scientific
field to the international and local communities.
When the South African National Antarctic Expedition
(SANAE) III base reached the end of its lifespan, a
new base was planned by the Department of Public
Works (DPW). The planning as well as architectural
and electrical design of SANAE IV was done by DPW,
with the structural design done by Endecon and the
design of the mechanical systems by GH Marais and
Partners (merged with Royal HaskoningDHV).
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9