Preliminary observations of brittle compressive failure of columnar saline ice under triaxial loading

Abstract

Experiments were performed on columnar saline ice prepared in the laboratory. Specifically, using a true multiaxial loading system, relatively large cubes (159 mm on edge) were proportionally loaded along three orthogonal directions; viz. perpendicular to (σ11 and σ22) and parallel to (σ33), the long axis of the columnar grains. Four sets of experiments were performed by setting the ratio σ22/σ11 to 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1, and varying the ratio σ33/σ11 and σ11/σ33. The results are presented in terms of a failure surface and are discussed in terms of the possible failure mechanisms. -Authors