Abstract
Building telescope enclosures is vital for setting up any optical observatory. An enclosure was constructed in remote hilly terrain to provide shelter to India’s largest 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT). Primarily, the enclosure was built to protect the telescope from tough weather conditions and provide optimum space for performing various telescope related operational and maintenance activities. Other elements that were considered in the building enclosure were low thermal mass, sustainability, seismic and acoustic considerations. A steel building designed with mostly bolted connections, suitably selected materials, and mechanical systems for facilitating construction activities on site has been built for the telescope at the Devasthal site of ARIES. The enclosure construction was quite a challenging task with various project complexities. Multidisciplinary works of civil, mechanical and electrical systems in enclosure required efforts on various fronts in parallel to achieve the targets. Limitations of resources, manpower, and site conditions were managed to keep flexibility and economics in construction. Numerous challenges faced during the making of enclosures have been discussed in the paper. Insights into the construction of enclosures will provide a basic framework and learning opportunities for managing such typical construction projects in adverse weather conditions at mountainous sites. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-02-05 Full Text: PDF
Highlights
Ground-based astronomy has played a major role in the physical sciences and the understanding of the mysteries of the universe
A steel building designed with mostly bolted connections, suitably selected materials, and mechanical systems for facilitating construction activities on site has been built for the telescope at the Devasthal site of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
A 20 MT capacity motorized ground trolley was manufactured to move on rail track provided on the ground between the extension building and the dome support structure to reach below the hatch opening for movement of telescope components, instruments, and tools, etc. through it
Summary
Ground-based astronomy has played a major role in the physical sciences and the understanding of the mysteries of the universe. Steel buildings for telescope enclosures with a minimum size of dome and auxiliary building have gained importance to reduce thermal mass and improve seeing conditions Modern large-sized optical telescopes are built with structural systems containing steel structures and related mechanical components that support the optical elements and play a major role in the overall planning and construction costs [4]. The design of high-altitude specialized steel buildings as telescope enclosures in the hills necessitates careful site selection and detailed planning of various building constituents. The design of such buildings may require retaining work and the use of different construction materials and techniques to meet project requirements. The enclosure has been supporting telescope observations successfully since its activation in 2016
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