Hydrostatic Pressure Loading due to Ice Formation in Manholes

Abstract

The magnitude of the hydrostatic pressure that results from the growth of an ice layer at the top of a water‐filled manhole is determined using both analytical (for a thin ice layer) and finite‐element methods (for a thick ice layer). The ice‐layer freeze/fracture cycle during the growth of the ice layer is predicted analytically and subsequently verified experimentally. A general expression for the hydrostatic pressure as a function of ice thickness and cross‐sectional area