Ice impact on the rockfill of port facilities

Abstract

The paper presents the experimental results of model tests in the ice tank of the Krylov State Research Center aimed at study the features of ice interaction with rockfill of hydraulic engineering structures. These rockfills are often used in port protective structures (dams, breakwaters, etc.). The main attention during the model tests was paid to the study of the rockfill influence on the total ice load, the process of ice heap formation in front of the structure, as well as the rockfill destruction under the ice impact. The experiments have shown that the horizontal component of the total ice load changes a little, while the vertical component noticeably decreases. It has been found that the rockfill displaces the ice formation towards the sea thus helps to protect the working surfaces of the hydraulic structure from ice impact. The tests have revealed that the rockfill of hydraulic structure can be destroyed by the drifting ice and identified two possible scenarios for this destruction. The results allow the authors to conclude about the rockfill for hydraulic structure designed for the Arctic.