Book Description

"Ice forces are the principal concern in designing offshore structures such as drilling platforms, transloading points, or bridge piers in Arctic regions. Although some results have been obtained by field measurements in recent years, there are still significant gaps in the knowledge of ice forces on structures. In order to fill some of these gaps, the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research has undertaken model studies on the investigation of ice forces on vertical piles. Model techniques for the study of ice-breaking phenomena have been developed, and the similarity between the model indications and prototype conditions has been demonstrated. Tests on the relationships between ice forces (ice strength) and pile diameter, ice thickness, and relative velocity (strain rate) between ice and structure have been completed. The experimental results were satisfactorily explained by a theoretical approach, and the combination of these relationships led to a basic empirical formula for the calculation of the maximum penetration strength for a circular pile, which agrees with available field measurements and also in part with model investigations in Russia. The suggested formula was modified for application to different structural shapes and degree of contact between ice and structure as well as for application to the indentation case of pile-ice interaction. Further studies are necessary to investigate the effect of ice temperature, scale effects and also the influence of salinity on the ice forces on structures. (Au)"--ASTIS online database.