Ice behaviour under load

Abstract

Ice is a component of frozen grounds that determines their rheological properties. Deformation and failure of ice under load are regarded by the authors as a single process due to the kinetics of defect development in the crystalline structure of ice. Results of experimental investigations into the regularities of ice strain and failure under the conditions of short-time creep are given in this paper. The experiments were to test ice for creep under a uniaxial compressive stress, using the emission—acoustic method of recording the microcrack formation. It is shown experimentally that the ultimate strength of ice signifying a maximum stress after which ice deforms plastically, without passing into the stage of accelerated flow, is consistent with the stress under which the process of microcrack formation begins. It has been found that this limit is independent of temperature. As a result of the study, an analytical relationship has been determined between defect number, stress and time, and an equation of ice strain has been deduced on the basis of statistical methods. This equation estimates temporal creep strain development, depending on stress, structural characteristics of ice and its temperature.