A review of discrete element simulation of ice–structure interaction

Sea ice loads on marine structures are caused by the failure process of ice against the structure. The failure process is affected by both the structure and the ice, thus is called ice–structure interaction. Many ice failure processes, including ice failure against inclined or vertical offshore stru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Main Authors: Tuhkuri, Jukka, Polojärvi, Arttu
Other Authors: EPSRC, Academy of Finland research project
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2017.0335
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2017.0335
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2017.0335
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Summary:Sea ice loads on marine structures are caused by the failure process of ice against the structure. The failure process is affected by both the structure and the ice, thus is called ice–structure interaction. Many ice failure processes, including ice failure against inclined or vertical offshore structures, are composed of large numbers of discrete failure events which lead to the formation of piles of ice blocks. Such failure processes have been successfully studied by using the discrete element method (DEM). In addition, ice appears in nature often as discrete floes; either as single floes, ice floe fields or as parts of ridges. DEM has also been successfully applied to study the formation and deformation of these ice features, and the interactions of ships and structures with them. This paper gives a review of the use of DEM in studying ice–structure interaction, with emphasis on the lessons learned about the behaviour of sea ice as a discontinuous medium. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Modelling of sea-ice phenomena’.