Concept of the Specific Energy of the Mechanical Destruction of Ice versus the Ice Pressure-Area Relationship: Review and Discussion

Abstract

For a structure-ice interaction process, a continuous record of force versus time can be converted to an ice pressure–area curve, or it can be used to find the specific energy of the mechanical destruction of ice (crushing specific energy), that is the energy required to crush a unit volume (or mass of ice). The highly empirical concept of the ice pressure–area relationship has been incorporated into design codes and practices, but use of the crushing specific energy is limited, although a theoretical and experimental basis exists for this value. In an attempt to identify the barriers to achieving the full potential of the specific energy concept, this paper reviews the development of the pressure-area concept and the development of the specific energy concept. We also discuss whether it is more convenient to use the specific energy for the description of certain ice-structure interaction scenarios, e.g., ice impact crushing with limited energy.