Ice mechanics

Ice mechanics and numerical simulation of ice-structure interaction are major research interests today.

The goal is to develop reliable and efficient methods for calculation of ice forces on structures using computational mechanics by means of mathematical simulation and modelling.

The company combines the knowledge from field measurements and laboratory experiments to establish suitable constitutive models for ice, and use finite element methods for numerical simulation of the interaction between ice and structure.

Ice sheet interaction with conical structures

Offshore platforms for ice-infested water are often single or multi-legged structures with cylindrical or conical shaped legs. Conical structures tend to induce bending failure of the ice sheet on the structure slope. In this manner the horizontal ice loads acting on the sloping structure is reduced compared to cylindrical shaped legs. The determination of ice sheet loads on conical structures are therefore of great practical significance for the safety and economy of offshore exploration and production in areas where sea ice is a major environmental factor.

Numerical simulation of an ice sheet interacting with a conical structure

Finite element simulation of multi-year ice ridge loads on conical structures

A multi-year ice ridge frozen into a level ice field may represent the worst loading case when designing offshore platforms in ice-infested waters.

a) Side view of the deformed element mesh showing contours of vertical displacements at different load levels. b) Side view of the calculated failure pattern at different load levels.

Contact person: Bjørnar Sand tif: + 47 76 96 53 58

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