Author(s): Jeffrey Brown; Louis Poirier; Robert Frederking
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Sea Ice; Ice-Structure Interaction
Abstract:
Nanisivik, on Strathcona Sound, was the site of the first deep-water wharf in the Canadian Arctic, coming into operation in 1976. Initial ice investigations were carried out with the instrumentation of the time, providing a good description of ice-structure interaction processes, but less successfully measuring ice loading. In 2017 it was possible to return to the site and install an ice pressure measuring instrumentation system. The system consisted of two ice load panels and a video camera. It successfully ran from September 2017 until January 2021, with 3 full winters of data collected. The system also collected data on air temperature, sea water temperature and tide. Tide and air temperature were the two environmental factors having the strongest relation to ice loading. Local pressures as high as 2.76 MPa on one 0.135 m2 zone were measured, although peak pressures on a single zone normally were less than 1 MPa and were not correlated with high pressures in adjacent zones. Local pressure peaks were characterized as being short-term with durations of a few minutes or occasionally a few hours. Ice loading was very intermittent and for short periods. Over the period from January through April maximum force on a 0.135 m2 area was 165 kN, 372 kN and 150 kN for the winters of 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Year: 2022