Author(s): Garry W. Timco
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: In the 1980s, a three-year test program was performed to measure the loads due to the collisions of large multi-year ice floes on a rigid island during the summer months. The field program was carried out at Hans Island which is between Canada and Greenland. In these tests, large multi-year floes were instrumented with accelerometers and their motion was measured as they collided with the island. On-ice measurements were made of ice thickness and aerial photographs were taken to provide information on the aerial extent of the floes. Loads were calculated by using Newtonian mechanics and the estimated mass and measured deceleration of the ice floe. Loads up to about 600 MN were inferred from these collisions. This paper analyzes the data and shows that there were two types of impacts. The highest loads (on the order of 300 to 600 MN) were direct hits with some form of ice crushing. The majority of impacts were cushioned by small floating ice floes and this produced loads which were less than 300 MN. A simple energy approach and failure mode analysis is used to explain the results.
Year: 2010