“Rural Alaska construction projects present an array of logistical challenges, which can adversely affect the project if they are not properly managed. Experienced project managers claim rural Alaska construction is 90 percent logistics and 10 percent construction, and tedious planning was key to overcoming the never-ending logistical hurdles on this project.” —Chris Humphrey Engineering Manager QAP’s Western Alaska Division
15, and even then access is limited to summer-approved vehicles. “As additional equipment becomes approved for summer use on the North Slope, it is easier to get a jump start on pre-packing the snow,” says Wieman. Rolligons, large all-terrain vehicles, have long been the standard for packing down snow, but Tucker Sno-Cats with smooth tracks are also being used to prepack and drive the frost down, according to Wieman. Tuckers Peak has started utilizing a technique over the last few years that combines using a rolligon with a water tank that can spray water off the side of the vehicle. “We make one pass down the snow and then spray water on it at a rate that saturates the snow, but doesn’t melt it,” says Wieman. “We end up having a layer of ice about one to two inches thick that helps protect the tundra while reducing the amount of insulation provided by the snow so that the area that the tundra freeze faster than if the snow were just packed down” he adds.
Water Usage
Water, an important component to making an ice road, is collected from lakes in the area. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is responsible for issuing water use permits that take into account the telemetry of the lake. “Lake water levels and fish species play a large part in determining whether or not you can use a lake as a water source,” says Wieman. “Calculations are made 62
www.akbizmag.com • Alaska Business Monthly • March 2013