City preview · FAIRBANKS

Fairbanks keeps the ground beneath its oil pipeline frozen

Fins on pipeline supports release heat from the frozen ground. A church crossed the Chena River on winter ice. Around the summer solstice, baseball starts at ten at night and continues past midnight without floodlights. Beyond the water mains, some households collect water to haul home.

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Alaska Pipeline (Viewing Point) · Editorial illustration, not a historical photo

Frozen ground, river ice and a late baseball game

Cooling fins, a church on ice, midnight baseball and a water station

Four complete stories and their public sources are shown here; the rest of the collection is in the app.

01 · Alaska Pipeline (Viewing Point)

Keeping the ground frozen

The fins above help keep the ground below frozen.

Groups of aluminum fins sit above the pipeline supports, connected to buried heat pipes containing refrigerant. When winter air is colder than the ground, the refrigerant absorbs heat underground, turns to vapor, rises and releases heat above ground. It then condenses and returns below. Repeated cycles cool the foundation so ground that would settle if thawed can stay frozen through summer. The pipe carries warm crude oil; its foundation needs to stay cold.

Source: alyeska-pipe.com Source: ian.umces.edu

02 · Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish

A church crossed the frozen river

One cable broke. The extra one held the church.

Father Monroe wanted the church closer to the hospital across the Chena River, so he arranged to move the whole building. Posts were driven into the river ice and allowed to freeze firmly in place; planks then carried the building across on rollers. For the steep climb ashore, he added a cable. Church records say the old cable broke near the new foundation. The extra one saved the building.

Source: iccfairbanks.org

03 · Growden Park

A 10 p.m. start, without lights

Play runs past midnight without turning on the lights.

Fairbanks's Midnight Sun Game usually starts at 10 p.m. and continues past midnight without artificial lights. The local tourism organization traces the tradition to a bet between two saloons in 1906. At today's venue, Growden Park, the long twilight around the summer solstice lasts through the game.

Source: explorefairbanks.com

04 · Water Wagon Pumps

Bringing the household water home

Beyond the water mains, household tanks need filling.

Water Wagon first delivered water to cabins around Fairbanks, then also began filling tanks at newer homes outside the mains network. Some households wait for deliveries; others bring containers to The Fill. Small jugs and large tanks can both be filled at this self-service station. Household water makes the trip home by vehicle.

Source: waterwagon.net

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