Simulation of ice crushing experiments with cohesive surface methodology

•Ice crushing experiments were simulated using cohesive surface methodology.•Sequential ice failure process was realistically simulated.•High pressure zone type contact was obtained in the simulations.•The simulated crushing forces are in agreement with the experimental results.

Ice crushing experiments were simulated using cohesive surface methodology. In the simulations possible fracture planes were inserted at all interelement boundaries so that fracture may initiate at arbitrary locations made possible by the discretization. The simulations modelled the experiments of Määttänen et al. (2011). Effects of mesh density, mesh layout and different material softening behaviours were studied. Sequential ice failure process where each failure event affects the next was realistically simulated and simulation results agree with experimental observations. High pressure zone type contact was obtained in the simulations and the simulated crushing forces are in agreement with the experimental results. Mesh density and layout and material softening behaviour affected the simulated failure process progression indicating high sensitivity to analysis initial conditions. The results presented here are one of the few successful simulations of continuous local crushing.