Earth’s Cryosphere, 2022, Vol. XXVI, No. 6, p. 21-27.

PERMAFROST ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS IN THE ARCTIC WITH THE APPLICATION OF GRANULATED FOAM-GLASS CERAMICS IN THEIR BASES

Ivanov K.S.1,*, Melnikova A.A.2

1 Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Center, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Malygina St. 86, Tyumen, 625026 Russia
2 Tyumen Industrial University, Faculty of Architecture and Construction, Department of Design of the Architectural Environment, Volodarskogo St. 38, Tyumen, 625000 Russia
*Corresponding author; e-mail: sillicium@bk.ru

The construction of heated buildings in the Arctic is considered. To increase the bearing capacity of the foundations via their preservation in the frozen state, an environmentally friendly heat-insulating material obtained from the Arctic raw materials (opal-cristobalite and zeolite rocks) has been proposed. The aim of this work is to evaluate the efficiency of insulation layer made of granular foam-glass ceramic on the basis of numerical modeling of the thermal interaction between the heated building and the frozen base. We have investigated the influence of protective screens, construction parameters of a dome-shaped building, and the thickness of insulation layer on the thermal regime of a frozen base over 30 years in comparison with the option without the use of special engineering measures. Calculations indicate that the safe exploitation of a heated building without traditional seasonal cooling devices and a ventilated underground is only possible with the use of protective screens. The building can have the shape of not only a dome but also an elongated ellipsoid of unlimited length. In this case, for building width of 6–8 m, the thickness of insulation layer should be 1.0–1.4 m. The proposed technology is promising to reduce the cost of low-rise Arctic construction, rational use of mineral resources, and preservation of the permafrost and Arctic landscapes.

Keywords: Arctic, permafrost, foundations, building construction, heat-insulating material

Recommended citation: Ivanov K.S., Melnikova A.A., 2022. Construction of buildings in the Arctic with the application of granulated foam-glass ceramics in their bases. Earth’s Cryosphere 26 (6), 21–27.