The bowling alley is collapsing

[skua77]

This got sent out around New Years…

“Effective immediately, B-063 housing the Bowling Alley – Weight Gym -Ceramics Room – Boulder Room and Craft Room is closed to all personnel. Do not enter the building for any reason.

A cross member structural beam has suffered a failure that has resulted in the floor sagging approximately six inches. All of the floor joists butt up and end on this one beam, causing overloading at this point. This is an extremely unsafe condition that warrants closing the building for all use by the community. There is a real risk that the second floor in the building could collapse onto the first floor.

This will have a large impact on the community due to closing of a building that houses several recreational venues that are used extensively by the community. The weight room will no longer be open and all bowling will stop until the building can be inspected and repaired. Bowling leagues will no longer be allowed to use the bowling alley and the leagues will need to determine how they will end the current series without playing any further games. There is no estimated time frame for when the building might reopen. The closure is totally unavoidable and is for the safety of everyone on station”.

I’m not the expert on McMurdo history but I’m pretty sure this is one of the three oldest buildings in town, along with Hut 10 and the O club, er, coffee house. And I’m not there so I can’t really interpret the photo, but from this distance it looks like the buckling steel joist wasn’t part of the original 1958 structure:

[annapalooza]

Sad times! I say you guys do a ‘we want our old bowling lanes back’ march.

[capnsteve]

too bad the b-ally will be closed. had loads of fun in there. the sad thing is that i don’t think that the company really cares if it opens or not. last winter they tried to close most everything.

[Been There]

I hear what you are saying but the budget impacts are very significant. OPP made major cuts to science activities and before they did that you bet have had RPSC look hard at what could be cut/closed at McMurdo during the winter. We are all aware of the impact of fuel costs and it hit the program very hard.

Will be interesting to see if any new money comes from the big increase in the NSF budget…I didn’t see anything specific for the USAP but one can always hope. Sure would be nice to get a new pier for Palmer (current one was build in 1967) and start upgrading McMurdo.

BT

[thepooles98]

BT
there is always the ten year plan. I think the bowling alley was covered on that one.
M

[Been There]

Mike,

You are right, the McMurdo Station Long Range Development Plan -2003 Update (Note it is not called a ten year plan) does include a new Recreation Center. In the plan it is proposed to be located in front of the upper case dorms on the shore side of 155. Good location in my opinion, in the center of town close to the majority of housing. Unfortunately it’s far down the list in priority and other facilities have to be constructed first. I am hoping that NSF will be able to put some serious money to upgrading McMurdo facilities now that Pole is finished. Would it be wishful thinking that some money would come from the $3 billion dollar increase NSF just got? One can always hope. 😀 😀

BT

[skua77]

Yeah, McM certainly could use some funding. Like BT I’ve seen several “long range development plans” over the years for the various stations, typically the first couple of items on the list get built, then the funding gets cut, then it is time for a new plan with new high priority items, and recreation is still at the bottom of the list. Another item that has been on the list for awhile has been a consolidated warehouse/logistics building.

The general concept with the McM developnent plans has been to consoldate old small buildings into fewer larger ones that are easier to heat and maintain. But priorities are priorities so we have a large new MEC and lots of old falling-down rec buildings.

And as for the Palmer pier, I worked on that 20 years ago when the research vessel got too big for the pier. We had a conceptual design. But there was only money for the interim solution…those big floating bumpers 🙂 And the research vessels are even bigger now.

[thepooles98]

I talked to a geologist yesterday here in cheech that is putting in a proposal to drill down and use geothermal heat to power and heat MCM. That should reduce the fuel bill a bit. Maybe even leave enough money left over for the swimming pool/fire suppression tank.
M

[Been There]

Mike,

Years ago one of the early DVDP drill holes behind the old Earth Sciences Lab, Bldg 138, went down over 1,000 feet and never hit anything remotely warm. I don’t hold out much hope for geothermal heating.

BT

[Sciencetech]

We just need to move McMurdo up to those fumeroles on the side of Erebus. Warm and toasty inside, and humid. Come to think of it, there’s one about 100m or so from LEH… With no bad air inside, I’m thinking they should have built the hut right next to it. Sweet!

[Author]

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