Stressed-Deformed State of Ice Crossings at the Surface Reinforcement of Composite Materials

Ice crossings have been used for several reasons. First, due to the active development of the Arctic shelf, supplies and minerals are provided and transferred on special transports on the surface of ice covers. Second, ice crossings across rivers are used to reduce the length of transport routes. Traditional methods of increasing the load bearing capacity of ice are ice freezing from above, ice freezing from below, and ice strengthening through a wooden copepod flooring. Practical experience shows that the physical and mechanical properties of ice covers are unreliable and changeable in time and strongly depend on various external factors. Therefore, ice covers should be strengthened through alternative methods. Thus, predicting the bearing capacity of ice crossings and exploring methods for their strengthening are important. In this study, we consider the results of experimental and numerical studies on the bearing and deformation capacity of ice beams upon destruction from pure bending. Under pure bending, ice breaks down in the ice crossing when transports move along it. Tests were carried out with a specified reinforcement scheme. The results of the model experiments were compared with numerical calculations in the ANSYS software package. Experiments on ice beams reinforced with various composite materials were also performed. Destruction of samples in all cases occurred as a result of the formation of extensive cracks in the ice caused by the bending moment in the middle of the beam span. Based on the experimental and numerical research results, the use of a surface reinforcement in ice with various materials can increase the bearing capacity from 65% to 99% for this reinforcement scheme.