Breaking Ice with Explosives
Abstract
The use of explosives to break floating ice sheets is described, and test data are used to develop design curves that predict explosives effects as ice thickness, charge size, and charge depth vary. Application of the curves to practical problems is illustrated by numerical examples. The general features of underwater explosions are reviewed and related to ice blasting. Quasi-static plate theory is considered, and is judged to be inapplicable to explosive cratering of ice plates. The specific energy for optimized ice blasting is found to compare quite favorably with the specific energy of icebreaking ships. All available field data for ice blasting are tabulated in appendices, together with details of the regression analyses from which the design curves are generated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA123761
Entities
People
- Malcolm Mellor
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory