Flexural Strength and Effective Modulus of Large Columnar-Grained Freshwater Ice

Abstract

In this study, the flexural properties of large columnar-grained freshwater ice in the temperature range of −0.5 to −10.0°C and strain rates of 4.6×10−7 s−1 to 1.7×10−3 s−1 were reviewed, which is of engineering interest. Two loading modes were used in the test: the upward loading mode (bottom in tension) and the loading force perpendicular to the crystal growth direction (side in tension). The results showed that the flexural strength of large columnar-grained freshwater ice was not affected by the loading direction. In addition, the tests demonstrated the clear dependency of flexural strength on the temperature and strain rate. As the test temperature decreased, the ice became stronger but also very brittle. Because it is a viscoelastic brittle material, the mechanical properties of ice are sensitive to the strain rate. The effective modulus can be regarded as an indicator of the elastic and viscous deformation that is dependent on the strain rate and temperature. The results also showed that there was no significant correlation between the effective modulus of large columnar-grained freshwater ice and the increasing strain rate at test temperatures of −0.5 and −2.0°C, but the effective modulus increased significantly when the strain-rate test temperature was between −5.0 and −10.0°C.