U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL)

The objective was to determine the response of spray ice barriers and spray ice islands to environmental forcing functions. This study used photogrammetric analysis to quantify the original geometry of the spray ice barrier placed around Exxon's CIDS Platform, during the winter of 1984; and to determine how the barrier reacted to ice movements. The analysis included a quantification of the frequency and magnitude of winter ice movements and the amount of erosion of the spray ice barrier during the pre-breakup and post-breakup periods.

This was a joint industry project (JIP) with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to measure forces transferred through ice rubble around an offshore Arctic structure. In-situ ice stress measurements were obtained adjacent to an instrumented caisson structure in Mackenzie Bay and in the ice rubble surrounding the structure. Plausible mechanisms for the transmission of ice loads through the ice rubble field to the structure were evaluated.

A joint university/industry/government consortium was formed to study the structure-property relationships which govern the mechanical properties of saline ice. This is an adjunct to Project No. 40 on the mechanical properties of multiyear ridge ice. This project was broader in that it included first year ice and considered factors not included in Project No. 40.

The objective was to study the adhesion and prevention of icing on offshore drilling and production facilities. Hydrophobic coatings, which have suitable visco-elastic properties, will be investigated. These coatings are expected to decrease adhesive strength of ice by 98 percent, thus decreasing enormously the mechanical work required to remove the ice. Other methods, such as self-mending lubricants, will also be considered as different locations on a facility may require various preventive methods.

To conduct an ice buildup measurement and analysis program on the semi-submersible drilling vessel SEDCO 708. This study will include measurement of atmospheric icing on the derrick and measurement of spray icing between the waterline and the deck. In addition, several ice-phobic coatings will be evaluated from observations of coated plates placed on structural members below the main deck. This will be a joint industry study with the lead company being ARCO as manager for 17 oil companies.

To determine the lateral forces generated by moving sea ice on artificial islands and offshore structures. This focuses on exploration and development operations in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas. The approach is to measure the effective ice stress at relatively long distances from such islands, to measure the ice displacement simultaneously and to determine the effective island width or structure width during ridge building events.