10 Oct 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Site Selection, Design, and Maintenance of All-Season Roads Linear Infrastructure

Abstract: Planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining all-season roads in cold regions requires navigating complex environmental, hydrologic, and geomorphologic challenges. Harsh conditions, such as permafrost, frost-susceptible soils, muskeg, and extreme cold, are compounded by limited data availability, remote locations, and fragile ecosystems. Recent Arctic strategies across the DoD have identified changing weather patterns as significant threats to infrastructure, operations, and training land management in these regions. Key risks include degrading permafrost, changes in precipitation intensity and duration, and the loss of soil bearing capacity in saturated soils, all of which are examined in detail. As the Department of Defense expands Arctic training capabilities, infrastructure investments across Alaska must balance operational goals with sustainability and resilience. This report synthesizes the military’s typical methods for constructing roads in contingency environments, identifies practices used in the construction of the Alaska-Canada Highway, and draws from consultations with training land managers, a thorough literature review, and active engineering research. The report highlights the importance of holistic design that prioritizes longevity, environmental conservation, and safety by addressing cold-region challenges, mitigation strategies, and best practices. This resource is indispensable for military units and infrastructure planners tasked with navigating the complexities of cold-region infrastructure construction and operation.

10 Oct 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Site Selection, Design, and Maintenance of Low-Water Crossing Linear Infrastructure in Cold Regions

Abstract: Low-water crossings (LWCs) are critical components of DoD infrastructure in Alaska and other cold regions, yet their effective siting, design, construction, and maintenance are challenged by remote locations, limited environmental data, seasonal hydrology, and complex terrain. Harsh winter conditions, rapid spring melt, and freeze–thaw cycles introduce hazards such as ice-related scour, debris loading, and variable streambed stability. In cold-region operational areas, natural processes such as permafrost degradation, shifting hydrologic regimes, and sudden flood events from glacial or thermokarst activity further increase risk to infrastructure performance and longevity. This report addresses these challenges by consolidating best practices and mitigation strategies for LWC implementation in cold environments. Drawing on technical literature, input from land managers, and existing agency standards and SOPs, the report identifies key considerations for improving LWC resilience. These include accounting for ice forces, complex geotechnical challenges, sediment transport, and the use of appropriate materials to name a few. By framing LWCs within a systems-based approach to site selection and engineering design, the report provides guidance for supporting safe and sustainable operations across Arctic and Subarctic training environments. It serves as a technical resource for DoD planners and engineers tasked with managing infrastructure in cold regions.

24 Sep 2025

Assessing Heat Pump Technologies in Cold Regions for Army Installations

Abstract: Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) can efficiently provide building heating and cooling. To assess the performance of ASHPs in cold regions for the Army Installation Technology Transition Program, we installed an air-to-air minisplit ASHP in Fairbanks, Alaska. This Interior Alaska location is exposed to extreme cold. The appropriate size of the unit was determined using building size and air temperatures from the location. Using monitoring equipment, the heating performance of the unit was analyzed using measurements collected over the winter months. Finally, the coefficient of performance (COP) was calculated, and a thermal camera was used to assess the heating performance qualitatively. The ASHP effectively heated the building during the project, and ASHPs are therefore recommended for use in cold regions.

18 Sep 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Summer Roads and Trails, Drop Zones, and Firebreaks in Cold Regions

Abstact: As DoD investments across Alaska increase in response to DoD Arctic strategies, expanded training opportunities are necessary to enable the military to enhance their Arctic capabilities. In addition, wildfire management is increasingly important in the area as the summer season has expanded and warmed in recent decades. This report addresses the siting, design, construction, and maintenance of summer roads and trails, drop zones, and firebreaks on DoD lands in Alaska and other cold regions. It considers the harsh weather conditions, extreme seasonality, and remoteness of these environments, in addition to the general requirements of understanding the local environment, relevant risks, permitting, and regulations. The three types of linear infrastructure are assessed together as each involves the clearing of land and maintaining it as cleared, and therefore share common risks. This report summarizes best practices throughout the project lifecycle and synthesizes risk mitigation strategies informed by a comprehensive literature review and conversations with local training land managers. Using Fort Wainwright in Interior Alaska as an example, it provides Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to aid land managers and military unit leadership as they navigate challenges and opportunities in their increased use of these critical linear infrastructure types in high latitude environments.

16 Sep 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Design, Maintenance, and Operation of Arctic and Subarctic Winter Roads

Abstract: Operations in cold regions require vehicular maneuvering across snowpacks or frozen surfaces. Winter roads and their route determination, construction, and monitoring are widely studied. This report analyzes historical and current literature on winter road construction and operations, reviews risk assessment techniques, examines the impact of uncertain weather on road reliability, and provides a standard operating procedure for design, maintenance, and use. Winter roads, snow roads, ice roads, and ice bridges enable seasonal access in Arctic and Subarctic regions. They allow cross-country maneuverability over terrain like wetlands and bogs, which are impassable in summer. These roads are critical for training, logistics, and construction in areas without all-season access. When combined with ice bridges they can provide near-unlimited travel. Effectiveness depends on proper planning, construction, and monitoring. Snow roads require controlled compaction for strength, while ice roads require sufficient ice thickness to support loads. Both rely on tools like visual inspections, ground-penetrating radar, and unmanned aerial systems to ensure safety. With extreme seasonal variability, adaptive strategies are essential. Shortened seasons and unpredictable freeze–thaw cycles demand modern technologies, predictive weather modeling, and improved reinforcement. This report integrates historical knowledge with engineering advancements to improve winter road durability, reduce risks, and support cold-region operations.

15 Sep 2025

Standard Operating Procedures for the Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Linear Infrastructure in Fens in Cold Regions

Abstract: In Alaska and across the Arctic and Subarctic, winter conditions can enable the expansion of linear infrastructure across the frozen landscape of fen wetlands. This expands military training opportunities into lowland wet, boggy, mostly impassable terrain. However, there are personnel, civilian, and environmental risks from using fens as travel corridors and drop zones. The effective design, construction, operation, and maintenance of such infrastructure on fens supports the dual mandate of troop training to fulfill the mission and protect the environment. This Technical Report (TR) addresses the risks of the establishment and use of linear infrastructure on the DoD lands in Alaska and in other austere cold environments where the DoD operates. This TR is founded on a review of methods used by US Army Installations, focusing primarily on Fort Wainwright in Interior Alaska. It establishes basic standard operating procedures (SOPs) by drawing on federal agency and international best practices and emerging research in circumpolar regions and beyond. This TR serves as a reference document for military land and infrastructure planners and unit leadership to create and maintain linear infrastructure on fens as environmental challenges evolve and opportunities develop to further the Army mission in high latitude environments.

10 Sep 2025

Cellulose Nanofibers Impart Melt Resistance to Ice Through Optical and Thermal Mechanisms

Abstract: Ice is ubiquitous in cold regions with historical significance as a key structural material. Contemporary efforts to leverage ice for the construction of large structures have incorporated cellulose-based reinforcing materials to increase strength. While an increased resistance to melting has been observed, it has not been investigated. Herein, we provide evidence that cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), as a heterogeneous component to synthetic ices, increase melt resistance through optical and thermal mechanisms. Specifically, we investigated the effect of 0.1−1.0 wt % CNFs on the reflectance, thermal conductivity, and melt rate of ice. The presence of CNFs increased reflectance of ice from 20 to 70% at 640 nm. Thermophysical measurements revealed that CNFs both slow melting and facilitate freezing and do not statistically affect the specific heat capacity of ice. Measurements with light flash analysis revealed that CNFs reduce thermal conductivity up to 10%. Overall CNFs reduced the melt rate of ice by 10× with only 1.0 wt % CNF. These results demonstrate that insoluble CNFs impart melt resistance to ice by both optical and thermal mechanisms, results that provide an interesting combination of controls for ice stability and formation to optimize ice material properties for high performance applications in cold regions.

22 Aug 2025

Local Integrated-Technology Energy System to Meet Operational Needs (LITES ON) Project

Abstract: The ability to reliably charge battery systems, whether for vehicles, mission support equipment, or stationary purposes, is especially important in remote and cold regions. The US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) project team evaluated and documented the performance of potential photovoltaic (PV) battery charging configurations (e.g., controller component) for use in such regions, especially as backup alternatives to other grid-connected charging stations that support Army installations, with a unique focus on the power electronics components of the system. In addition to its potential to support building energy resilience, this work complements other work that considers electrification of the DoD fleet of vehicles and the needed grid-connected infrastructure. This work adds to the growing information available on lithium ion (Li-ion) battery performance in cold regions by monitoring the battery performance as part of the test configuration. The results help better inform design and performance requirements needed for cold regions applications as well as the acquisition of such systems.

28 Jul 2025

Predicting Frozen Ground and Thaw Risk from Standard Land Model Output: Data, Algorithms, and GeoWATCH Implementation

Abstract: The Geospatial Weather Affected Terrain Conditions and Hazards (GeoWATCH) tool provides real-time mobility predictions at 30 m resolution on demand for any location on the globe. This tool combines dynamic weather data provided by the Air Force 557 Weather Wing (557WW) with static terrain data to downscale soil moisture from global and regional scales to resolutions better suited for terrain analysis applications. Frozen and thawing ground data layers were recently incorporated into the GeoWATCH framework to better support terrain assessment for Warfighter functions in cold regions. This report documents our approach for diagnosing the frozen and thawing ground data layers and provides examples. First, using data from controlled land-surface model simulations, we established simple curve-fitting formulas relating soil temperature to frozen water content. We then added the new formulas to the GeoWATCH code so that end users can generate frozen soil products on demand. Finally, GeoWATCH uses the resultant frozen soil product with a series of soil layers to determine the risk of actively thawing soil and springtime mud conditions. While the new overlays are not integrated into the GeoWATCH mobility diagnostic calculations, they provide insight into soil state conditions critical for operations and weather-based risk assessment in cold regions.

2 Jul 2025

Remote Detection of Soil Shear Strength in Arctic and Subarctic Environments

Abstract: Soil shear strength affects many military activities and is affected significantly by plant roots. Unfortunately, root contribution to soil shear strength is difficult to measure and predict. In the boreal forest ecosystem, soil and hydrologic dynamics make soil shear strength less predictable, while the need for prediction grows due to the rapid changes occurring in this environment. Our current study objectives are to (1) observe possible aboveground vegetation indicators of soil shear strength variation across soils and other environmental heterogeneity, (2) observe possible image-based indicators of soil shear strength variation, and (3) identify the best remote-sensing data source for predicting soil shear strength variation. A total of 65 sites were sampled from a diversity of soil and vegetation types across interior Alaska and Ontario, Canada. Ground-collected data were analyzed to develop a predictive model, while a similar approach was undertaken with Sentinel-2 imagery. Results indicate that both ground-collected data and satellite imagery can reasonably predict boreal forest soil shear strength, with satellite imagery providing the higher predictive ability. A comparison of 10 m Sentinel-2 and submeter Maxar imagery indicated that Sentinel-2 provides a better prediction of soil shear strength.