Every construction site has its own unique set of challenges, but mix in extreme cold and a remote location and things can get pretty serious pretty quickly. Construction documentary maker, The B1M, recently created a video of one such site, dubbing it “The World’s Most Extreme Construction Site.”
We’ve shared some videos in the past of some pretty extreme construction sites, like the site of Europe’s new tallest building in St. Petersburg, Russia, which has to deal with -25 degree F temperatures and 80mph winds at the highest point or this German construction site 10,000 feet above sea level with some absolutely breathtaking views, but neither of those can even come close to this recent jobsite.
The B1M’s video follows a job site in Rothera, Antarctica with a goal to expand British research facilities on the continent. The ongoing project continues to face many challenges that most of us in the industry have never had to contend with, including extreme weather, wildlife, icebergs, and contamination.
Orca whales and leopard seals inhabit the region, which can cause delays on the construction and diving efforts for the crews on-site and nearby icebergs have the potential to damage buildings. Prior to sending equipment and materials to the site, crews spent 10 weeks inspecting and cleaning each item to make sure harmful wildlife or chemicals would not interfere with Antarctica’s “pristine environment.”
The location itself was also another extreme challenge. Crews, which maxed out at 100 people, were asked to live on-site for 6 months out of the year with no access back to their homes. The site is over 5 hours away, by plane, from the closest town to Rothera, which is on the northern tip of the continent.
Because of the distance and time commitment, the project management and design team could not take any chances. To ensure the plan would work out on site, they employed 3D models for clash detection and also built the components in the steelwork fabricator’s yard before shipping them off.
For more information, check out the full video from The B1M below and their article about the project here.
On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.