Ice abrasion and impact resistance of concrete under arctic conditions

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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.