2018
Scott Base, Antarctica
Scott Base is New Zealand's Antarctic research station. Hillary’s Hut at Scott Base was built in 1957 by a team under Mt Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary’s leadership. It was from here that Sir Ed made his famous “Dash to the Pole” in 1958. Sixty Antarctic winters later the Hut was in a sorry state when the Antarctic Heritage Trust began a complete restoration of it. Sika became a sponsor of the Trust and supplied Sika PEF Rod and Sika MultiSeal Tape for the interior renovation, and in the Antarctic summer of 2017 our high performance Sika Hyflex-250 Facade for the new roof project.
Project Requirements
The Trust wanted a solution that would last a minimum of 35 years but ideally up to 60 years. The solution developed by Mike Burgess from New Zealand company Architectural Metalformers was to over-clad the original roof with new flat roof panels that would replicate the original design, right down to the macrocarpa timber battens.
Mike used traditional standing seam roofing, enclosed edges, and Sika Hyflex-250 Facade to create new aluminium roof panels on site. The hut was then repainted in its original bright 1950s colours.
Challenges
Antarctica has the harshest climate on earth. The average summer temperature at Scott Base is -1.2 C; the average winter temperature -34.9 C. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -57.0 C. The new roof’s first test came just days after the project was completed when a “warm storm” swept across Scott Base. Hillary’s Hut stayed dry.
Products Used
Sika® Hyflex-250 Facade
Sika® PEF Rod
Sika® MultiSeal Tape
Project Participants
Specialist Contractor
Mike Burgess Architectural Metalformers