Engineering Cold-weather performance
for mission success
What is ICEBOX?
In-service Capability Evaluation in Below-zero Operational eXtremes (ICEBOX) is a specialized cold-weather engineering service that helps organizations identify, diagnose, and resolve equipment failures caused by extreme cold. Operated by the ERDC's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), ICEBOX supports electronic, mechanical, and electro-mechanical systems operating in Arctic, sub-Arctic, high-altitude, and other severe cold environments.
ICEBOX leverages CRREL's specialized cold-weather testing infrastructure, including its Cold Room Complex and Extreme Cold Chamber (ECC), to evaluate systems ranging from individual components to full-scale equipment operating under severe Arctic conditions.
Unlike conventional environmental testing laboratories that focus on pass/fail certification, ICEBOX is designed to determine why systems fail in the cold and deliver validated engineering solutions to fix them. This work is executed through a structured, scalable three-phase framework, allowing organizations to address challenges at the level most aligned with their mission needs.
Three-Phase Engineering Framework
Baseline Cold Performance Evaluation
Establish baseline system performance under ambient conditions before evaluating operational limits and failure modes within CRREL's controlled cold-weather testing environments.
Component-Level Diagnostics
Conduct targeted testing on critical sub-components to identify specific cold-induced failure mechanisms, allowing engineering efforts to focus on the areas with the greatest impact
Cold Hardening & System Retrofit
Develop, implement, and validate engineering improvements ranging from material substitutions to system modifications before delivering a retrofitted system solution.
Services
Semi-Fixed Cost Model
Predictable pricing enables organizations to scope projects with confidence while selecting only the phases needed
Scalable Engagement
Begin with a baseline assessment or progress through the complete engineering framework based on project objectives
End-to-End Engineering Solutions
From initial evaluation through validated retrofit, ICEBOX delivers complete engineering support—not just testing
Simplified Federal Contracting
Federal-to-federal reimbursable agreements streamline procurement while providing access to CRREL expertise
Partnership & Collaboration
Inquiries from interested parties will be received directly by the ERDCWERX team. Following initial discussions, ERDC will determine which agreement mechanism is the most appropriate.
Potential Partnership Pathways
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)-
Testing Service Agreement (TSA)
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Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) (Government)
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Interagency Agreement (IAA) (Government)
Learn more about the available pathways to work with ERDC.
Request Information Form
Organizations interested in funding reimbursable services may submit the form below to inquire about collaboration opportunities. Parties interested in submitting solutions for potential funding consideration may visit ERDCWERX.org.
Featured Video
Climatic Chamber Expanding Extreme Cold Weather Research Capabilities
06.02.2022
