Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Bridge piers, lighthouses, and oil platforms, especially those in Arctic and subarctic areas, are exposed to harsh*environmental conditions such as ice abrasion and ice impact loading. Ice abrasion occurs when a drifting ice*sheet slides against the surface of the structure with high friction. On the other hand, drifting ice sheets or*icebergs can create considerable dynamic impact loads on offshore structures. These impact loads can be even*more damaging when borne by strong currents. Continuous ice abrasion and/or ice impact loading are*considered one of the most dangerous deterioration of concrete structures. Unfortunately, there are still a*number of unknown factors related to design and material selection of concrete structures exposed to ice*abrasion. Moreover, the information regarding the effect of ice impact loading on concrete structures is limited*in the literature. The main objective of this project is to investigate ice abrasion and impact resistance of*concrete under arctic conditions. The project particularly aims to study the effects of actual Arctic*environmental conditions on concrete in order to develop some novel concrete mixtures with high resistance to*ice abrasion and ice impact loading. The effects of mixture composition, mixture proportions, supplementary*cementing materials, and the inclusion of crumb rubber/fibres on ice abrasion and impact loading will be*clearly presented to help designers/engineers in designing and optimizing concrete mixtures in arctic*conditions. Other considerations such as effects concrete curing and surface finishing techniques on the*abrasion and impact resistance will also be part of this project. The outcome of this project will have a*significant potential to create new technology and subsequent opportunities for next generation of concrete*design guidelines for arctic conditions.