Present military concepts call for highly mobile units capable of rapid dispersal and efficient movement across country where no roads exist, and many current civilian engineering tasks require movement of men and materials long distances over roadless terrain. Oversnow transport is a particular aspect of the general problem of cross-country mobility, but the characteristics of snow-covered regions are such that special techniques and equipment are required for efficient operation. In order to fully understand the action of vehicles in snow and to formulate sound design criteria, it is necessary to develop a theory which permits quantitative analysis of trafficability problems. For practical purposes, vehicle evaluation is at present made from the results of relatively simple field tests which give drawbar pull as their main indicator. The best practical evaluations are made by observing the operational capabilities of vehicles in various types of snow.

The monograph describes the various kinds of foundations used for structures on permafrost with a brief discussion of foundations in areas of seasonal frost. Special attention is given to piled foundations in permafrost and the design of ventilation systems for controlling thaw under heated buildings. Appendixes outline techniques for computing the depth of freezing or of thawing, the design of refrigeration systems for artificial freezing, and the recommended procedure in the USSR for static pile tests. Included in the main text are 51 figures and 62 selected references. (Author).

A series of nine spread footing tests was installed on snow at Camp Century, Greenland, in 1961 and continuously observed through the 1963 summer season. The influence of footing load, size and shape on settlement were investigated and the effects of the uncontrolled parameters temperature and snow density were recorded. (Author).