Results of Field Monitoring on Ice Actions on Conical Structures

Ice-structure interaction plays a central part in determining ice loads and ice-induced vibrations. This is a controversial research issue, and many factors make the problem more complicated. The authors have been monitoring several ice resistant structures in the Bohai Sea for 20 years and have measured ice forces and simultaneously observed ice-structure interaction processes. This paper describes typical physical ice sheet–conical structure interaction processes, field data, and theoretical explanations for different ice conditions and structure dimensions. The conclusions are more widely applicable, and we relate them to field work on ice resistant conical structures in other ice-covered regions. Further work will quantify ice loads on conical structures once the interaction process is understood.