Construction in the Arctic

Most contractors have complained about the weather at some point.

It's too hot.

It's too cold.

It's raining.

It's windy.

The ground is muddy.

But construction in the Arctic takes weather complaints to an entirely different level.

Across Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, and other Arctic regions, contractors work in conditions that can affect almost every part of a construction project.

Extreme cold affects workers and equipment.

Frozen ground affects foundations.

Remote locations complicate deliveries.

And short building seasons can turn scheduling into a race against the calendar.

Welcome to another stop in our Scaffolding Around the World series.

This time, we're going north.

Way north.

When the Ground Isn't Really Ground

One of the most interesting challenges of Arctic construction is permafrost.

Permafrost is ground that remains at or below freezing for at least two consecutive years. In some Arctic regions, it can extend hundreds or even thousands of feet below the surface.

At first, permanently frozen ground might sound like the perfect foundation.

It's frozen solid. What could go wrong?

Quite a lot, actually.

Frozen ground can provide stable support as long as it stays frozen.

The problem begins when ice-rich permafrost warms and thaws.

Ice within the soil melts, the ground can settle, and what once appeared solid may begin moving.

For contractors, that means the heat from the building itself can become part of the engineering problem.

Imagine having to design a building while also considering how the building's heat might affect the ground holding it up.

That's Arctic construction.

Sometimes You Have to Keep the Ground Frozen

In many parts of the world, contractors worry about keeping buildings warm.

In Arctic regions, engineers may also need to worry about keeping the ground underneath them cold.

Buildings can be elevated above the ground to allow cold air to circulate beneath them.

Deep piles may be used to transfer loads appropriately.

Insulation systems can help limit heat transfer.

Some projects even use devices called thermosiphons to help remove heat from the ground and maintain frozen conditions.

It's a completely different way of thinking about foundations.

In Texas, we're usually trying to control soil movement caused by moisture.

In the Arctic, you may be trying to keep your foundation from melting the ground beneath itself.

Extreme Cold Changes Everything

Cold weather doesn't just make workers uncomfortable.

It changes how construction happens.

Materials behave differently.

Batteries lose performance.

Hydraulic systems can become sluggish.

Engines become harder to start.

Lubricants behave differently.

Hoses, plastics, seals, and other components may become less flexible.

Even simple tasks become more difficult when workers are wearing layers of protective clothing and heavy gloves.

Dexterity decreases.

Movement becomes slower.

Tools become harder to handle.

Something that takes five minutes under normal conditions may take considerably longer in extreme cold.

That has to be considered when planning productivity.

Equipment Has to Survive Too

Construction equipment is designed to work hard.

Arctic construction asks it to work hard under some of the most demanding conditions imaginable.

Equipment may require cold-weather fluids, heaters, specialized maintenance, and additional warm-up procedures.

Machines sitting outside overnight can become a project of their own just to get operating the next morning.

And when equipment breaks in a remote Arctic location, getting replacement parts isn't always as easy as calling the local supplier.

That makes maintenance and preparation incredibly important.

A small equipment failure can create a very large delay.

The Building Season Can Be Short

Another major challenge is time.

Many Arctic projects have limited windows when certain types of construction are practical.

That makes scheduling critical.

Materials have to arrive.

Equipment has to be ready.

Crews have to be available.

Design decisions have to be complete.

There isn't much room for "we'll figure it out when we get there."

Lose enough time early in the project and you may not simply lose a few days.

You can lose part of the construction season.

Suddenly planning isn't just about productivity.

It's about whether the work can happen at all.

Getting Materials There Is Half the Battle

Construction is difficult enough when a supplier is twenty minutes away.

Now imagine the project is in a remote community hundreds of miles from a major distribution center.

Some Arctic locations have limited road access or none at all.

Materials may need to arrive by ship, barge, aircraft, or seasonal transportation routes.

Forget something important and overnight delivery may not be an option.

That changes the way contractors think about logistics.

Material lists need to be accurate.

Deliveries need to be coordinated.

Contingencies need to be considered.

Because a missing component that would create a two-hour delay on one project could create a much larger problem in the Arctic.

Scaffolding Faces the Environment Too

Access systems aren't immune to Arctic conditions.

Scaffolding must still provide stable working platforms while dealing with snow, ice, wind, frozen surfaces, and extreme temperatures.

Workers need safe access while wearing heavier clothing and winter gear.

Platforms must remain clear.

Conditions can change quickly.

And just like every other piece of equipment on the project, scaffold systems require inspections and attention to changing environmental conditions.

The fundamentals of scaffold safety haven't changed.

The environment has.

Planning Becomes Everything

If there's one lesson Arctic construction offers contractors everywhere, it's the value of preparation.

You cannot control the temperature.

You cannot control the length of winter.

You cannot move a remote community closer to a supplier.

You cannot negotiate with frozen ground.

What you can control is how well you prepare.

Materials.

Equipment.

Access.

Scheduling.

Communication.

Contingency plans.

The more difficult the environment becomes, the more important planning becomes.

Different Climate, Same Industry

Most Southwest Scaffolding customers will never build on permafrost in Greenland or spend a winter working in northern Alaska.

But the lessons translate remarkably well.

Understand the environment you're building in.

Know how conditions affect your equipment.

Plan materials before they're needed.

Build realistic schedules.

Expect conditions to change.

And never assume yesterday's jobsite conditions will still exist tomorrow.

At Southwest Scaffolding, we know every project comes with challenges. Arctic construction simply takes many of those familiar challenges and pushes them to the extreme.

Because construction doesn't stop where the pavement ends.

Sometimes it keeps going until even the ground beneath your feet is frozen.