Review of Confederation Bridge ice forces: winter 2008-2010

• Main Authors: Frederking, Robert M (Bob), Li, Lian-Feng, Kubat, Ivana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineering (ISOPE) 2013
• Subjects: conical structures; data acquisition system; ice interactions; interaction process; measurement system; tilt measurement; bridge piers; loading; meteorological problems; offshore structures; standards; data set; ice core; ice-structure interaction; videography; wind forcing; Arctic
• Online Access: https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=9d2b8aa4-358a-41e0-8696-eecaf2dda2ee; https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=9d2b8aa4-358a-41e0-8696-eecaf2dda2ee

Ice interactions with the Confederation Bridge for the winters 2008, 2009 and 2010 have been studied. Ice conditions for these winters were characterized as two average winters and one very mild winter. Tilt data from piers P23 and P24 in response to ice and wind actions were recorded by a data acquisition system. Video records of ice interactions with pier P23 and overall ice conditions adjacent to piers P23 and P24 allowed ice conditions and interaction processes to be related to tilt measurements. Wind data were analyzed to correct for the tilt caused by wind actions on the bridge. Limit stress and limit force events were identified. An ice loading scenario that transitioned from limit force to limit stress resulted in the highest ice forces over the three years of monitoring, with forces of 3.1 MN and 4.3 MN at P23 and P24, respectively. ISO 19906 Arctic offshore structures can provide reasonable predictions of ice forces for ice actively failing on a conical structure. Peer reviewed: Yes NRC publication: Yes