EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH WATER ICE SUBJECTED TO UNIAXIAL COMPRESSIVE LOAD

In this paper, a series of uniaxial compressive tests of ice were carried out, and the effects on ice compressive strength and stress-strain relationship of loading rate, specimen dimensions, section shapes and loading contact-face were investigated. Based on the above tests and analyses, the following conclusions were drawn: when the height-diameter ratio of specimen is smaller than two, the compressive strength of ice increases with the increase of height, and keeps almost constant when the height-diameter ratio exceeds two; the ice strength has size-effect, that is, the specimen strength decreases with the increase of sectional area, and the contact-face has no effect on strength; the sectional shape has some effects on elastic modulus, but no effect on strength; the ice compressive strength depends on loading direction, and is lager along the crystal grain.