Observations on break-up of river ice in north central Alberta

• Published in: Canadian Geotechnical Journal
• Main Author: Nuttall, J. B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1970
• Subjects: Civil and Structural Engineering; Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/t70-056; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/t70-056

The break-up process on the North Saskatchewan and Pembina Rivers in north central Alberta during 1969 is discussed.It is shown that the maximum size of moving ice can approach the river's width and have a length of four or five times this depending upon channel geometry. A case of radial cracking of an ice sheet at a bridge pier when the sheet was subject to the drag force of high velocity river flow is reported. The rate of progress of a break-up wave on the Pembina River was found to have been approximately that of a free surface water wave of the same height.