Confined Compressive Strength of Multi-Year Pressure Ridge Sea Ice Samples

Abstract

Fifty-five constant-strain-rate triaxial tests were performed on verticaly oriented multi-year pressure ridge samples from the Beaufort Sea. The tests were performed on a closed-loop electrohydraulic testing machine at two nominal strain rates (10−5 and 10−3 s−1 ) and two temperatures (−20° and −5°C). In all of the tests the confining pressure was ramped in constant proportion to the applied axial stress (σ1 > σ2 = σ3 , σ3 /σ1 = constant). Two σ3 /σ1 ratios were investigated: 0.25 and 0.50. This paper summarizes the sample preparation and testing techniques used in this investigation and presents data on the confined compressive strength and failure strain of the ice. Uniaxial data are also included for comparison.