Tuesday, March 19

ALMA Observatory will have a multi-field with geothermal energy | Digital Trends Spanish


With the intention that astronomers and all officials of the SOUL observatory in the Chilean desert are in good physical shape, an unprecedented multi-court is being built, which will have an impressive dome and will work with geothermal energy.

The observatory’s North American partner, AUI/NRAO (Associated Universities Inc. and the US National Radio Astronomical Observatory), is behind the work on the state-of-the-art multipurpose sports arena, thanks to support from the National Science Foundation of United States (NSF).

This striking oval structure stands at an altitude of 2,900 meters, about 30 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama and will be inaugurated in the first half of 2023. “This construction materializes a long-standing dream: to provide workers with an ideal place to carry out their activities physical activity, promote a healthy life and strengthen ties as a community”, declares Joseph E. Pesce, manager of the ALMA Observatory at NSF.

The project includes a revolutionary structure consisting of a frame of laminated wooden beams that is anchored on metal fittings welded to plates in the concrete slab, covered with two sealed and pressure-inflated membranes. This design is capable of withstanding the inclemencies of the place, such as extreme UV radiation, the wide temperature range of the desert, winds, sand storms and rain (and even snow) that winters bring in the Altiplano.

The constructed area is 1,200 square meters and has a special padded sports floor 7mm thick, fire resistant, and demarcated with the official measurements of tennis, soccer, basketball and volleyball courts, as well as a machine and exercise room. . The building is accessible for people with reduced mobility, complying with current regulations, and the interior lighting meets the requirements of all professional competence. Even so, the double membrane system practically does not allow the passage of light to the outside, generating an imperceptible level of light pollution.

The enclosure required more than 1,700 m3 of concrete and 150 tons of steel, reaches a maximum interior height of 12 meters, and involved more than 200,000 hours of work. The architectural project sought to minimize the environmental impact, adopting the shape and slopes of the hills and volcanoes in the area to be in harmony with the environment. For this reason, the level of the court is 3.5 meters below the level of the outdoor terrain, which also allows the use of a geothermal air recirculation system that maintains temperature stability and saves energy.

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