Pilot study of ice-structure interaction in a pendulum accelerator

More knowledge on the coupled response of ice and structure in collision in which both bodies undergo permanent damage is needed. These types of experiments are challenging to perform in a laboratory at relatively high impact speeds. A pendulum accelerator impact rig was used to overcome the aforementioned challenge, in which an ice mass was attached to a trolley and accelerated into a structure at a speed of 8 m/s. Four freshwater granular ice samples were impacted onto flexible steel beams. The impacts resulted in crushing of the ice samples while recoverable and unrecoverable deformations were observed in the beams. Force and displacement histories were recorded along with high-speed video of the ice and steel structure deformations. This paper describes the test setup, instrumentation and ice manufacturing, and presents the main test results.