Author(s): Zhixin Xiong; Hao Yuan; Xiaoyu Wang; Ruoxuan Li
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Compaction ice; Splitting tensile strength; Brazilian splitting test; Stable distribution
Abstract: This study employs a cyclic crushed-ice compaction method for artificial ice fabrication to investigate the splitting tensile strength of ice specimens using the Brazilian disk test. During each ice fabrication process, the mass of crushed ice added at each compaction stage, ambient temperature, and final specimen density were recorded. The experimental program documents the load–time responses during loading and the final failure modes, and examines the effects of loading rate, specimen thickness, and compaction force applied during ice fabrication on the splitting tensile behavior. The results show that the characteristics of the load–time curves are influenced by the loading rate. Ice specimens produced through multiple compaction stages tend to show a non-uniform tensile strength distribution, with relatively higher strength observed in the upper regions of the specimens compared to the lower regions. In contrast, under the tested conditions, the influences of compaction force and specimen thickness on splitting tensile strength are relatively small. Overall, the present results suggest that the proposed ice fabrication method can produce ice specimens with stable tensile strength and provide supplementary experimental data on the splitting tensile strength of artificially prepared ice.
Year: 2026