Abstract

When an ice sheet moves and interacts with an offshore structure, it goes through a continuous failure process, which leads to ice loads on the structure. Experiments on ice loads are expensive and challenging to perform, yet ice loads may be a key factor in design. With reliable numerical tools, detailed insight on the underlying mechanics of ice loads can be achieved. Effective numerical tools for ice failure processes are, however, still fairly scarce. Such tools must be able to describe the failure process of an intact ice sheet, the ice broken of the sheet, and the formation and deformation of ice rubble. In addition, in several cases, three-dimensional modeling is required. This presentation focuses on modeling ice-structure interaction by using three-dimensional combined finite-discrete element model based on Timoshenko beam lattice and rigid discrete elements. The presentation described how this approach can be verified and validated, and on the potential scale- and size-effects in these models.