| Abstract | A test program has been carried out to investigate the influence of non-uniform ice thickness on the loads exerted by an ice sheet failing against both an upward-breaking and a downward-breaking sloping structure. Tests were performed with both level and non-uniform ice sheets in a model test basin. The comparison of the loads was used as a basis to determine the 'effective' thickness (heff) of the ice sheet where heff=hμ + khσ where hμ is the average ice thickness, hσ is the standard deviation of the ice thickness distribution, and k is a parameter that depends on structure slope and width and the mode of ice failure. For a wide, upward-breaking structure, k = 0.5 and 0.8 for slopes of 60° and 75°, respectively. For a wide downward-breaking structure, k = 1.4 and 1.6 for slopes of -60° and -75°, respectively. Based on these findings, analytical models for predicting ice forces on sloping structures have been modified to take into account the influence of non-uniform ice thickness. |
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