Located about 145 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Fort Yukon in Alaska holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state, a remarkable -78 degrees Fahrenheit. Settled originally during the gold rush, the U.S. Air Force established a radar base there in the 1950s. More recently, the base changed hands to the country’s newly established Space Force and that is when general contractor Arctec called for energy efficiency upgrades to the base’s main barracks facility.
As its record temperatures indicate, Fort Yukon is a harsh environment. Extreme cold coupled with high winds had been causing the pipes under the barracks, which were heated to 180 degrees, to freeze. The structure’s fiberglass batting insulation had failed to perform under such intense conditions. Thus, Arctec called upon Palmer, Alaska-based Polyseal Insulation to enhance the insulation.