Limit mechanisms for ice loads: FEM-DEM and simplified load models

This work summarizes our recent findings on mechanisms and limits for the ice loads on wide inclined Arctic marine structures, like drilling platforms or harbour structures. The fresults presented are based on hundreds of two-dimensional combined finite-discrete element method (FEM-DEM) simulations on ice-structure interaction pro- cess. In such processes, a floating sea ice cover, driven by winds and currents, fails against a structure and fragments into a myriad of ice blocks which interact with each other and the structure. The ice load is the end result of this interaction process. Using the simu- lation data, we have studied the loading process, analysed the statistic of ice loads, and recently introduced a buckling model [1] and extended it to a simple probabilistic limit load model and algorithm [2], which predict the peak ice load values with good accuracy. These models capture and quantify the effect of two factors that limit the values of peak ice loads in FEM-DEM simulations: The buckling of force chains and local ice crush- ing in ice-to-ice contacts. The work here describes the models and demonstrates their applicability in the analysis of ice-structure interaction