A method to determine the horizontal ice loads on the vertical steel structures which adfreeze to the ice level

• Ice collar shape is significantly dependent on the FDD and structure wall thickness.
• Freeze-in ice increases load up to 170%.
• Ratio structure diameter to ice level thickness governing ice load.
• Positive temperatures inside the structure lead to ice collar disappearance.

In this work the estimation of the load from the ice level on freeze into the ice structure is presented. Nowadays a big uncertainty exists when estimating a freeze-in effect. Considerable inexactness in the ice loads estimation could lead to great differences in the cost of the structures. Proper estimation of ice loads will reduce the cost of constructions. If the structure is freezing-in during no change of sea level — ice collars are occurring. Ice collars could lead to increase of the horizontal ice load from the ice level on the structure. The overview of the existing recommendations is presented. The thermo-dynamical task for calculating ice collar profile was investigated during the present work. The numerical methods were used to calculate an increase of the load when freeze-in effect occurs. Physical experiments were conducted to verify the models. Results of the work provide provisional method for estimation of the ice loads on the freeze into the ice structures.