High Pressure Zones at Different Scales During Ice-Structure Indentation

In order to improve the estimation of the ice load during ice-structure interaction, this study aims to investigate the behaviour of high pressure zones at different scales. Small scale indentation tests of ice with four different sizes of indentors (10 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm and 100 mm in diameter) were conducted at Ocean Engineering Research Centre of Memorial University. The tests were conducted at −10 °C. The grain sizes were scaled up with the indentor sizes. The tests consist of three series with different orders of displacement rates. In this paper, Part of the field test data will be retrieved for the investigation. Microstructural changes of the ice after deformation in laboratory will be studied. A relationship between stress and nominal contact area is derived based on the data. Numerical simulations are conducted for the series with low displacement rates of laboratory tests. The simulation shows a good agreement with the tests.