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steamjetting
North
DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
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n.
See quote.
Quotations
1957
The simplest passive method for building on permafrost is a framework of logs called a "mudsill." Heavier structures usually are placed two feet up on piles, which are sunk into the permafrost by an ingenious technique known as "steamjetting." Hollow pipes are driven into the permafrost under pressure of fifty to eighty pounds of steam. This quickly thaws about a foot all around the pipe. Wooden posts, sometimes greased or tar-papered to resist the upthrusting tendency of the permafrost, are then driven in butt down and left to refreeze solidly before the weight of the building is put on them.