A simple and updated pneumatic method for uniaxial ice compression in the laboratory: experimental settings and creep test results on glacier ice

Abstract

AbstractCreep tests provide invaluable data to better understand the physical properties of ice under various conditions. We describe here a simple, updated pneumatic apparatus for experimental studies of ice rheological properties. The apparatus is designed to perform two simultaneous compression creep tests either in a cold room or in atmospheric conditions when coupled to an external cooling circulator. We present results from calibration tests of the apparatus and provide new data from creep tests performed on temperate glacier ice samples. These calibration and creep results show that the apparatus is able to provide fast and reliable mechanical ice characterization. The secondary creep rates measured in this study range between 1.59 × 10−8 s−1 (at 0.21 MPa) and 4.38 × 10−7 s−1 (at 0.71 MPa) at −10°C for quasi-isotropic ice, which is consistent with former standard published data. The corresponding mean parameter, A, is 5.20 × 10−16 s−1 kPa−3, which also compares well with the range of reported other studies.