Abstract
This paper describes the influence of testing properties (test rig stiffness and PID controller settings) on the uniaxial compression test of granular laboratory-made ice in a single-factor design experiment. Global warming causes the decline of sea ice in the Arctic regions. Enabling the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage to be more accessible for the shipping industry and therefore reduces the energy consumption compared to the Suez Canal Route. Nevertheless, ice will remain an interacting element with ships and structures in Polar and Sub-Arctic regions. A good assessment of forces exerted by the ice on the offshore structure or the ship is essential for designing these arctic structures. Ice-structure interactions depend on the mechanical properties of the ice, which are still not fully explored but can be determined by experimental testing. Over the years, many experiments have been conducted with similar test setups but different testing properties. Therefore the influence of the test properties on the compressive strength of ice is analyzed and discussed by comparing the results of different test settings in this paper. The tests are conducted in a single-factor design experiment. The applied velocities range from 0.01 mm/s to 500 mm/s, causing the ice to behave ductile at lower velocities and brittle at higher velocities.
