Bulldozers on Antartica

[thcri]

Nice Pics, I always love good pics of machines. I should find the ones I have of the big coal diggers out in North Dakota.


Murph

 

[ScottAR]

Egon nailed it... These machines exert only about 4.3psi of ground pressure. A man walking around is about 5.5-6psi. They've never gotten a machine with a lower ground pressure so these beauties just keep on going...

 

[njrqs]

Wow, so does that lower psi mean it COULD travel over thinner ice than a man could or would the sheer weight have a bearing on the thickness of the ice? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[ScottAR]

Weight is sorta independent of psi in this case. I think in this application, compaction or lack of compaction was/is the goal. To stay on top of the snow instead of having to pack it down (probably a few feet) so they could go forward. I don't think they do much thin ice crossing with a machine that weighs around 50tons. (guessing)

 

[Trev]

Scott, these are wonderful! But.. what are they using them for? I mean, obviously to plow snow.. but to plow the snow off from what?

Anyway, I want one! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ScottAR]

Stuff like plowing runways, to pull sled camps around, anything that needs a tow or shove...

 

[Phred]

Scott,

Great pics.

If you look close it appears to be one of those small operator fans mounted inside pam. I guess thats for those summer heat spells when it breaks above 0 oF. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Fred

 

[jhburke]

It was probably used to defrost or defog the windows. A lot of the 16 wheel rigs use them to do this around here.

 

[Egon]

I would say you are right on with your fan prognosis. The equipment had cab heaters but not set up to defrost the windows.

Way back when even some cars in the frozen north had little fans to help keep the windshield clear.

Egon

 

[MossRoad]

I've got one in my pickup truck(the heater blower hasn't worked for several years). Even cold air, moving across the glass, will keep the window defogged.