Author(s): A. K. Abdel-Zaher; K. S. Dava; L. Dawe; S. Beltaos
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Longitudinal cracking of ice cover due to rapid water level changes frequently initiates the breakup process in rivers. It determines which part of the ice cover will undergo fragmentation, result in ice runs and finally lead to jamming at susceptible locations. Subsequently, extensive damages may result from flooding. This paper reports experimental laboratory investigations conducted to examine ice cover cracking and compare results with estimates of numerical modelling. A numerical model FEMl, based on the finite element stiffness method coupled with the analogy of a beam on an elastic foundation, has been previously developed and reported. This model is capable of analyzing ice covers with uniform and non-uniform thicknesses, for a wide range of boundary conditions and varying ice properties. It is difficult to check in the field the conformability of the numerical model for the full range of investigated conditions as fully controlled conditions can be rarely attained in the field. Therefore, for examining the conformability of the FEMI Model an experimental laboratory program was set up in a cold room. Reliable values of flexural strength and elastic modulus as existing in the cold room were considered essential for use in these experimental investigations of ice cover cracking. Since, there exists a considerable divergence in the results reported in literature for these ice properties, a testing program was implemented for determining the flexural strength and elastic modulus for ice in the cold room. An ice cover cracking simulation tank was built for examination of the cracking of ice covers with different thicknesses and four different boundary conditions; namely, hinged symmetric, fixed symmetric, hinged-fixed and fixed-free.
Year: 1992