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.
