| Abstract | Winter roads in Canada, which comprise over-land and over-ice segments, account for approximately 10,000 km of roadways. Operator experience has shown that over-ice segments often limit the operating window for winter roads—reducing the time available to haul essential goods to isolated communities and to service the private sector (e.g. mining, forestry). The operating windows for over-ice segments have generally decreased in time with a warming climate. When a floating ice cover incorporates a reinforcing element, it may better resist fracture propagation and breakthrough, and may thus better support vehicle traffic. Ice cover reinforcement could be applied to weak links in a winter road, i.e. segments known to be unreliable, or to help close off open leads in a river. Ice reinforcing elements may include wood pulp, steel cables, timbers, natural fibers, and geomembranes among many other options. Such microscopic and macroscopic ice reinforcement techniques have been tested in the past by various research groups. This paper reviews established ice reinforcement methods, proposes criteria for selecting appropriate methods, and presents preliminary results of testing on reinforced ice. In addition to strength characteristics, the environmental compatibility, the constructability, and stakeholder acceptability are primary screening criteria for reinforcement selection. Four-point beam testing has been initiated on reinforced ice samples. These tests confirm an increase in breakthrough resistance, but not an increase in strength, which may have to do with a weakly bonded surface at the ice/reinforcement interface. |
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