ICE CONSTRUCTION - INVESTIGATION OF ACCELERATED BOTTOM-FREEZING TECHNIQUES.

• Main Authors: Hoffman,C. R., Culbertson,T. L.
• Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CALIF
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1970
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Civil Engineering; Structural Engineering and Building Technology; (*CONSTRUCTION; POLAR REGIONS); (*SEA ICE; STRUCTURES); FREEZING; THICKNESS; PIERS; SEA WATER; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; SOLAR RADIATION; LANDING FIELDS; CONVECTION(HEAT TRANSFER); STABILIZATION; PAVEMENTS; FOUNDATIONS(STRUCTURES); ALASKA; *COLD WEATHER CONSTRUCTION; POINT BARROW(ALASKA); ICE CONSTRUCTION; Construction Point; Barrow; Ice; Ice Sheet; permafrost; Point Barrow; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0702732; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0702732

Methods for improving the surface and structural characteristics of natural sea ice are needed to advance polar operational capabilities. Surface flood/freeze techniques are effective for improving floating ice sheets; accelerated bottom-freezing techniques are needed for constructing grounded and near-shore ice structures such as piers, docks and causeways at polar coastal bases. Investigations on accelerated bottom-freezing systems including field tests at Point Barrow, Alaska during the spring of 1969 showed that liquid convection cells have excellent potential for thickening, stabilizing and anchoring near-shore ice structures. Cells protruding through a natural ice sheet into seawater will 9produce ice along the entire length of cell with the ice production rate dependent upon the seawater temperature, the prevailing air temperature, and the thickness of the mass around the cell. 9For maximum ice growth, it was found that the cell should be of maximum size congruent with handling equipment and painted white to reflect solar radiation. It was concluded that additional laboratory and field tests should be conducted to improve cell performance and field application. (Author)