Preliminary observations of brittle compressive failure of columnar saline ice under triaxial loading

Abstract

Experiments were performed on columnar saline ice prepared in the laboratory. Specifically, using a true multiaxial loading system, relatively large cubes (159 mm on edge) were proportionally loaded along three orthogonal directions; viz. perpendicular to (σ13 and σ22) and parallel to (σ33), the long axis of the columnar grains. The ice was strained at 10−2 s at −10°C where it behaved in a brittle mariner. Four sets of experiments were performed by setting the ratio σ22/σ11 to 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1, and varying the ratio σ22/σ11 and σ22/σ11. Sections through the failure surface were then constructed. For loading along σ22 = 0, the confining stress did not significantly affect the maximum principal stress at failure. For loading along σ22 =0.25σ11, σ22 = 0.5 σ11 and σ22 = 0.5 σ11, the application of a moderate confining stress resulted in a large increase in failure stress. However, further increase in the level of the confining stress did not have a significant effect on the failure stress. The observations are presented in terms of a failure surface and are discussed in terms of the possible failure mechanisms.