Finite element simulations of floating ice - engineering structure interactions

In this paper the problem of interaction between a coherent floating ice cover and a rigid engineering structure is considered. It is assumed that the ice cover, of horizontal dimensions considerably larger than the dimensions of the structure, is driven by wind and water current drag forces. During the interaction process of a quasi-static character, ice is assumed to behave as a creeping material, with a rheology described by the viscous fluid flow law. The ice cover is treated as a plate which sustains both bending due to the vertical reaction of the underlying water and the action of horizontal forces, which gives rise to the development of creep buckles in the plate and subsequently leads to the flexural failure of ice. An approximate solution to the problem is constructed by employing the finite element method. The results of numerical simulations illustrate the magnitudes of the forces exerted on the structure and their dependence on the wind direction and the structure geometry. In addition, the ice plate deflection in the vicinity of the structure is illustrated, and the values of the critical time at which the plate starts to fail by creep buckling are determined to show their dependence on the ice thickness, temperature, and type