Alluvium-reinforced ice: A preliminary report of bending strength tests

If ice could be effectively and economically reinforced, it would be an ideal construction material for offshore drilling platforms, temporary construction pads, and other such structures in Arctic regions. Whilst a variety of reinforcing materials have been shown to be effective strengtheners of ice, all require transporting to the Arctic and significant clean-up after the platform, or structure, has melted, both of which are expensive. An alternative reinforcing agent is alluvium, which is readily available, either in the form of seabed silt in the Arctic offshore, or from various onshore deposits. This note presents preliminary measurements of the bending strength of alluvium-reinforced ice. Results show that bending strength tends to increase with decreasing particle size, and also suggest that there is a critical percentage reinforcement, above which value considerably higher bending strengths are obtained. Further work is ongoing in this new and potentially very useful area.