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For offshore, nearshore and harbour structures ice loading is often a decisive ULS load. However, the Code requirements, the regulations and design practices vary considerably across the Baltic Sea region and beyond. This result in incommensurable values of the compressive strength of the ice and the resulting recommended/prescribed design loads. The paper examines these differences over time and in-between countries and elucidates the effects on the design for a number of case histories. The Danish rules show a pronounced trend of increasing values of compressive ice strength (five-fold from 1945 to 2015). Surprisingly, this is commensurate with the trend of less severe winters with time. In conclusion, the Danish code requirements need critical review to better match reality and to reduce the cost of foundation structures subject to ice loading.

<p>The Izmit Bay Suspension Bridge, app. 50 km east of Istanbul, crosses the Sea of Samara with a main span of 1550 m. The foundation of the bridge poses interesting challenges in that the bridge site is in a highly seismic region. Moreover the ground profile ranges from Dolomitic Limestone to a thick sandwich of silty sand and clay layers overlying the bedrock.</p>