Author(s): Sainan Gu; Ning Wang; Junjie Wang; Xiaodong Chen; Shunying Ji
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Moving ice loads; Polar ships; Model test; Structural response
Abstract: Moving ice loads constitute a critical loading condition in the structural design and safety assessment of vessels operating in ice-covered waters. Conventional assumptions of static or uniformly distributed ice loads, however, fail to capture dynamic ice-vessel interactions, potentially leading to inaccurate structural response predictions. This study investigates a scaled (1:5) structure of bow area from a PC3-class vessel to examine the influence of impact area and collision velocity on ice pressure distribution and structural response. Surface ice pressure, total load and structural strain were simultaneously measured using tactile sensors, load cells and strain gauges. Results demonstrate that under moving ice loads, contact pressure exhibits a distinctly non-uniform and dynamically fluctuating distribution, with pressure peaks scaling significantly with collision velocity. At equivalent load levels, the structural strain amplitude induced by moving ice loads markedly exceeds that under static conditions. This analysis confirms that moving ice loads substantially alter the dynamic response characteristics of ship structures. Consequently, structural design should consider addressing transient high-pressure features characteristic of moving ice loading.
Year: 2026