Failure mode of the ice sheet loading at the junction of the upward and downward breaking cones

Ice-breaking cones were installed on several vertical jacket structures to reduce severe ice-induced vibrations in the Bohai Sea, China. The failure mode of the ice sheet loading at the junction of the upward and downward breaking cones is our most concern due to the worry that the crushing failure mode may arise at the junction of the upward and downward breaking cones which has much larger diameter than the original vertical leg. Based on field observation and field data the failure mode of the ice sheet loading at the junction of the upward and downward breaking cones is described, and the fracture process is explained by subsequent analysis.