A MODEL FOR THE INDENTATION-INDUCED SPLITTING ICE-FLOE EXPERIMENTS

A particular case of indentation-induced damage in ice where the micro -cracked zone directly beneath the indenter takes the shape of an isos celes triangle, and the overall failure characterized by an unstable p ropagation of an apex crack, is considered. Both the failure criterion and the related size effect are derived and compared to the results o f both the laboratory and basin studies on freshwater ice in the liter ature. Although the above failure mode is typical in low velocity inde ntation experiments with nominal strain rates between 0.2 and 0.34 s(- 1) and with the indenter width-ice sheet thickness ratio measuring les s than 5, the derived scaling law is applicable to other experimental conditions too, as long as the above deformation profile is maintained . Applicability of the scaling law to saline ice is also discussed.