Mathematical modelling of monotonic and cyclic behaviour of fresh water columnar grained S-2 ice

A three-dimensional, time-dependent, elasto-plastic constitutive model for fresh water transversally isotropic columnar grained S-2 ice is presented i n this paper. The model describes the stress-strain behaviour of ice subjec ted to any loading scenario, including cyclic loading. It takes into consid eration the material non-linearity, time dependency, plasticity, material a nisotropy, and hysteresis behaviour of ice when subjected to cyclic loading . It accounts for the effect of grain size, confining pressure, and micro-c racking on the mechanical behaviour of the material. The model can be imple mented into an explicit dynamic finite element code, which can be used to c ompute impact loads exerted by ice on ships and offshore structures. The ca pability of the model to predict the results of laboratory tests is demonst rated. Comparisons between predicted and measured stress-strain curves are presented. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.