This study uses a unique experimental system to explore the breakage of laboratory-grown, floating saline ice blocks under ice-to-ice contacts. This topic is important to the understanding and modeling of force transmission through ice rubble fields. In a collection of ice blocks subjected to compressive loading, force is transmitted via force chains, and their stability plays a crucial role in ice-structure interaction processes. Peak loads are limited by the buckling of these force chains or breakage at the ice block contacts. Lack of information on the breakage mechanism motivates the present effort. In the experiments, three ice blocks were set up to form two ice-to-ice contacts, after which the three-block system was compressed to failure. The force transmitted through each contact and the failure process of the blocks were recorded. In total 32 tests with varying contact areas were performed. In about 75% of the cases, the load transmitted by an ice-to-ice contact was limited by shear failure. The key property limiting the magnitude of the force transmitted by an ice-to-ice contact was found to be shear strength; blocks typically failed in shear on planes having the characteristics of ‘Coulombic shear faults’. Quasi-static force equilibrium analysis of these shear failures showed that the floating ice blocks with a naturally occurring temperature gradient used in this study had a shear strength of 279 kPa. Other failure modes, including crushing, splitting and ‘Y-shaped’ conjugate failure, were occasionally observed.

本研究使用独特的实验系统来探索实验室培养的漂浮盐冰块在冰对冰接触下的破裂。该主题对于通过冰瓦砾场进行力传递的理解和建模非常重要。在承受压缩载荷的一组冰块中，力通过力链传递，它们的稳定性在冰结构相互作用过程中起着至关重要的作用。峰值载荷受到这些力链的屈曲或冰块接触处的断裂的限制。缺乏关于破损机制的信息激发了目前的努力。在实验中，设置了三个冰块，形成两个冰对冰的接触，之后三块系统被压缩到失效。记录通过每个接触传递的力和块的失效过程。总共进行了 32 次不同接触面积的测试。在大约 75% 的情况下，冰对冰接触传递的载荷受到剪切破坏的限制。发现限制冰对冰接触传递的力的大小的关键特性是剪切强度；块通常在具有“库仑剪切断层”特征的平面上发生剪切失效。这些剪切破坏的准静态力平衡分析表明，本研究中使用的具有自然温度梯度的浮冰块具有 279 kPa 的剪切强度。偶尔会观察到其他失效模式，包括压碎、分裂和“Y 形”共轭失效。发现限制冰对冰接触传递的力的大小的关键特性是剪切强度；块通常在具有“库仑剪切断层”特征的平面上发生剪切失效。这些剪切破坏的准静态力平衡分析表明，本研究中使用的具有自然温度梯度的浮冰块具有 279 kPa 的剪切强度。偶尔会观察到其他失效模式，包括压碎、分裂和“Y 形”共轭失效。发现限制冰对冰接触传递的力的大小的关键特性是剪切强度；块通常在具有“库仑剪切断层”特征的平面上发生剪切失效。这些剪切破坏的准静态力平衡分析表明，本研究中使用的具有自然温度梯度的浮冰块具有 279 kPa 的剪切强度。偶尔会观察到其他失效模式，包括破碎、分裂和“Y 形”共轭失效。这些剪切破坏的准静态力平衡分析表明，本研究中使用的具有自然温度梯度的浮冰块具有 279 kPa 的剪切强度。偶尔会观察到其他失效模式，包括压碎、分裂和“Y 形”共轭失效。这些剪切破坏的准静态力平衡分析表明，本研究中使用的具有自然温度梯度的浮冰块具有 279 kPa 的剪切强度。偶尔会观察到其他失效模式，包括压碎、分裂和“Y 形”共轭失效。