To avoid the risk of introducing Covid-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station, the construction team was forced to spend two weeks in quarantine and had three Covid-19 tests prior to making the 11,000km voyage by ship.
Construction on such facilities can only take place during a short window in the Antarctic summer months, in order to avoid the harsh, dark winter.
This is the second season that work has taken place on building the research hub, during which time the team aims to complete the pre-cast concrete foundations; ground floor slab; rock anchors, and stub columns, as well as the drainage and the perimeter wall, before returning in December 2021 to complete the outer structure.
The new scientific support facility will be called the Discovery Building and commemorates the discovery of Antarctica just over 200 years ago.
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