Cold Regions Science and Technology, 6 (1983) 267-274 267

Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands

THE CRITICAL VELOCITIES OF A LOAD MOVING ON A FLOATING ICE PLATE THAT IS
SUBJ ECT ED T O I N - P L A N E FORCES
Ar nol d D. Kerr
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19711 (U.S.A.)
(Received August 3, 1982; accepted in revised form October 28, 1982)
ABSTRACT
The critical velocities o f moving loads over floating
ice plates were determined by several authors. In all
o f these analyses i t was assumed that the in-plane
force field in the ice cover is zero. However, due to
constrained thermal strains, in-plane forces do occur
in the field. The purpose of the present paper is
to determine its effect upon the critical velocities
o f the moving loads. I t is shown that a uniform
compression force field reduces the critical velocity
whereas a tension force field has the opposite effect.
Graphs are presented to show these findings.
I NTRODUCTI ON
When a vehicle is moving on a floating ice sheet,
there is a certain velocity, denot ed in the mechanics
literature as the "critical vel oci t y" Vet, at which it
may break through the ice. Methods for determining
vet for floating plates subjected to moving loads have
been presented by Assur (1961), Kheisin (1963,
1967) and Nevel (1968). Kheisin and Nevel utilized
the linear bending t heory of plates to describe the
response of the ice cover and the equations of an
ideal fluid to describe the response of the liquid
base. For a review of these and related problems
refer to a recent survey by Kerr (1981).
In 1972, it was shown (Kerr, 1972) that an axial
force in a beam on a Winkler base t hat is subjected
to a moving vertical load may have a profound
effect on Vet. Subsequently, Labra (1975) found
this to be the case also for beams on a semi-infinite
elastic solid. Since axial in-plane forces also occur
in floating ice covers, t hey may be caused for
example by constrained thermal strains, it is of
interest to determine their effect upon vet. The
purpose of the present paper is to investigate this
phenomenon.
At first, we study some related problems: the
bifurcation of the in-plane uniform compression force
field at which the plate becomes unstable and then
the propagation of free waves in the liquid base
with a free surface and with a floating plate sub-
jected to in-plane forces. This is followed by the
determination of Ver for a floating plate subjected
to a moving load and an in-plane force field N, and its
relationship to the results obtained previously.
THE BI FURCATI ON FORCE FOR A FLOATI NG
I NFI NI TE PLATE SUBJECTED TO A BI - AXI AL
COMPRESSION FI ELD, N
The governing equation for the determination of
the bifurcation force Net is
4 2
+ NVxyW + pf gw DgxyW = 0 (1)
where
a4 a 4 a 4
Vx4y = - - + 2 - - +
ax 4 ax+ ay = ay +
a + a 2
V 2 x y =- - +- -
ax ~ ay 2
(2)
w( x, y) is the pert urbat i on from the plane state,
D is the flexural stiffness of the plate*, and pf g is
the specific weight of the liquid base.
*For the derivation of the differential equation for floating
ice covers, refer to Kerr and Palmer (1972).
268
For a def or mat i on mode of t he f or m
w( x , y ) = w0s i n( al x) (3)
where Wo = const ant , and set t i ng
p f g _ K4 1
D l 4 (4)
eqn. (1) yields,
(a4 W Og 2 + K4 ) wo S i n ( a , x ) = 0
- 3
Above equat i on is satisfied for a non-zero w, when
4 N 2
a , - ~ " a, + K* = 0 (5)
Thus when
- 2 ( 6 )
D a~
Since the fi ght -hand side of eqn. (6) is 3>0, it
follows, as ant i ci pat ed, t hat t he def or mat i on mode
o f t he f or m (3) is onl y possible when N is a com-
pressi on field, as shown in Fig. 1. Fr om aN/ aal = O,
we obt ai n t hat N = Nmi n when
oq = ~ ( 7 )
Subst i t ut i ng above expressi on i nt o ( 6) , it follows t hat
Ncr ~ D g
D = 2K2 = 2 (8)
/ / / / /
-'#
/ / / .... x
N
/
Y
Fig. 1. Floating plate subjected to a uniform in-plane com-
pression field.
or rewri t t en
Nc r = 2 X / ~ f g D (9)
The correspondi ng wave l engt h is
2rr 2rr 4 rr~ p fDg
b - - - 2rd = 2 (10)
O~ 1 K
The same Nor is obt ai ned f or w( x ) =
wos i n( oq x) s i n( cx2y) . However t hen, i nst ead of
eqn. (7), 2 = a~ ot~.
T H E P R O P A G A T I O N O F F R E E W A V E S
1. T h e l i q u i d l ay er
Assumi ng t hat t he liquid l ayer, shown in Fig. 2,
responds like an ideal fluid and t hat t he rat i o o f t he
wave ampl i t ude t o wave l engt h is very small ( Lamb,
1945), the resulting f or mul at i on in t erms of t he
vel oci t y pot ent i al consi st s o f t he di fferent i al
equat i on
V2xyzCb = 0 in O ~ z < ~ H (11)
and t he boundar y condi t i ons
(a~ 1 = 0
(12)
~z g 8t 2 z~-0
( )
= 0 (13)
z= H
where
02 a 2 a 2
V~y z - + - - + -
8X 2 Oy2 bZ 2
F r e e s u r f Q c e
r t
- - - - - I x , y
H
Fig. 2. Water layer of depth H.
269
Assuming
cI,(x,z, t ) = f ( z ) cos[a(x --ct)] (14)
where a=27r/~, and substituting it into eqn: (11), it
follows that f ( z ) has to satisfy
d2f
- - - ~ x 2 f = 0 0 < z < H
dz 2
The general solution of above differential equation is
f ( z ) = B l e az + B~e -e
Noting boundary condition (13), it follows that
f ( z ) = 2SleaHcosh a ( H- z ) (15)
Substitution of eqns. (15) and (14) into the re-
maining boundary condition (12), yields
l 0/2C2 1
2ABI e ~n - ~ sinh a ( H- z ) + ~ cosh ~ ( H- z )
g z=0
X cos a ( x - c t ) = 0
Above equation is satisfied, for any amplitude of ~ ,
when
c~ = g tanh (od-/) (16)
Ot
This is denoted in the literature as the dispersion
relation. Noting that a = 2rr/~,, it follows that, a solu-
tion of the form (14) will exist when the speed of
wave propagation (also known as the phase vel oci t y)
cf and the wave length ~ are related as follows:
=' ] / / ~_ (3__~) g~" ~ g H t a n h ( - ~ )
cf , ,., t anh. ,, = 2~rH (16' )
Equation (16' ) is presented schematically in Fig. 3.
Thus for each H, there exists a range of O<cf<oo
and to each phase velocity there corresponds a wave
length ~,. Note that for 2rr/~.=0, cf = ~/ gH.
It may be shown that to the above solution there
corresponds a sinusoidal free surface wave of wave
length ~, which travels in the x direction with the
velocity c. For additional comments the reader is
referred to the literature on free waves in liquids
(Lamb, 1945).
Cf
cr : 2 ~ T / X
Fig. 3. Dependence of cf on ~.
2. The stressed plate ( wi t hout base)
When the plate responds elastically and is sub-
jected to a uniform in.plane force field N, for long
waves the following plate equation is valid
02w
4 2 +p s h - = 0 (17)
DVx y W + NVx y W 0 t 2
Assuming a traveling wave of the form
w( x , t ) = wosi n[~(x-ct )] (18)
and substituting it into the above differential equa-
tion, we obtain
(D~ 4 - N~ 2 - Psh~: c 2 }Wo sin a ( x - c t ) = 0
Thus, a wave of the form (18) does propagate in the
plate for N< Da 2 and then c, a and N are related by
the dispersion relation
Da 2 - N
2 _
Cs - - (19)
Psh
Setting N = n a2D in above equation, where 0 < n < 1,
the speed of wave propagation (phase velocity) is
o r a l - n ) D
Cs = (19' )
Ps h
Equation (19' ) is presented schematically in Fig. 4.
/
Cs
270
: 2 T r / X
Fig. 4. Dependence of c s on a.
3 . The stressed pl at e rm~ting on a ~ LINer
Retaining the assumptions made in the two
preceding sections, the resulting formul at i on for the
probl em shown in Fig. 5 (with P = 0) consists of the
differential equations
~)2w
4 2
+ N~x y W 8 t 2
DVxyW + ps h ~ + p f g w
- O f = 0
z ~ O
V2yzdP = 0
the matching condition
(20)
- ~ z z~O - -~t (21)
the boundary condition
z = H
and the regularity conditions for w and as (x 2 +y2)
- - ~ ,
The order of the derivatives in eqn. (20) suggests
to assume, as before,
w( x, t) = w o si n[ot (x-et )l (18)
/ %- / - / -
Fig. 5. Floating plate subjected to a uniform in-plane com-
pression field and a moving load.
( x, z , t ) = [ ( z ) c os [ ot ( x - c t ) l (14)
Note t hat to the assumed in (14) t here corresponds
in the liquid, and hence also at z=0, a sinusoidal wave
of the t ype shown in (18).
It was shown before, t hat the second equation in
(20) and boundary condition (22) are satisfied when
[ ( z ) = 2 Bl eaHcosh a ( H- z ) (15)
Substituting expressions (14) and (18) into
matching condition (21) yields
( - 2 Bl e ~H [sinh ot ( H- z )] z=O + c W o }
a cos a ( x - c t ) = 0
Above equation is satisfied when
2 BI e ~H - c w o
sinh(otH)
Thus
c Wo cosh ~ ( / - / - z)
~, ( x , z , t ) =
sinh (od-/)
cos ot ( x- ct ) (23)
Substitution of w( x , t ) as given in (18) and of
b(x, z, t ) as shown above into the first equation in
(20) yields,
Dot" - No t 2 - p s h ot2c2 +p f g - p f ~ -
s mwt o. t - / j
wosin ot ( x- ct ) = 0
Above equation is satisfied when
a2 (D~2 - N) + pf g - c2f ot2 [ psh + P~f c o t a n h ( ~ = O
(24)
271
This is the dispersion relation for the stressed plate
on a liquid base, Thus, the speed of wave propagation
(phase velocity) in the floating plate, subjected t o
a uniform in-plane force field is:
1//_ (Ool 2 - N) + pfg/ot 2
Cs f - V psh + - - p" ~ - ~ - t al a~ ~ ] ( 25)
As expected, when the plate is absent (D=N=h=O),
eqn. (25) reduces to eqn. (16' ) and when the liquid
is absent (pf=0), eqn. (25) reduces to eqn. (19' ).
Denoting
2
14 = D Psh 2 Csf
; p - ; Vs f - ; N = nc~2D
pf g pf l gl
eqn. (24) may be written as
N/2
1 + (od) 4 - y (a/) 2 - V;2f ~ ( a / ) 2 + ~ cotanh(od-/)]
= 0 (24' )
and eqn. (25) as
_ - ] / [ 1 + (1 - n)(od)' ] tanh(od-/)
v, -v ; i i ? (25')
A graphical presentation of eqn. (25' ) is shown in
Fig. 6 for H = ~ , p f = l g]cm a, Os =0-92 g/cm 3,
E = 50,000 kgf/cm 2, v = 0. 34, and h = 30 cm (thus
l = 598 cm and ~ = 0.0462). It may be seen that for a
fixed N<Ner a wave of the form (18) cannot
propagate for 0 < c < (sf)mi n and that for each
C > ( Cs f ) mi n t wo wave trains with different wave
lengths X may propagate; a situation similar to that
of the beam on a Winkler base (Kerr, 1972).
The t'mdings by Kerr (1972), as well as by Kheisin
(1967), suggest that for a fixed N, the corresponding
(Csf)min is the critical velocity of a load P that moves
in the direction of the x-axis.
A necessary condition for locating (sf)min for a
fixed N is aCsf/3a = 0. It yields, using eqn. (25),
1 - ( 3 - n ) ( a / ) 4 2 f f - /
i +(1 -n)((x/) 4 sinh (2od-/)
[1 - ( ~ 04] 2v~l tanh (a/-/)
- - ( 2 6 )
1 +(1 -n)(cx/) 4
Note that equations (25' ) and (26) for the case N=0,
are the conditions for the determination of the
l c sf
[I Csf)rnin] N~O
/ -o.5o
20 ;0 25
04
] 6 \ \ IO I
)
/ o )oO AoOO 0.004
Net
Fig. 6. Dependence of Csf on N and ~.
critical velocity, Ver, obtained by Nevel (1968).
The smallest value of N in the N- a plane (for
Csf = 0 as shown in Fig. 6) is obtained from the condi-
tion [aN/aa]csf=O = o. It is found to take place at
o~ = (pfg/.D) 1/4. The corresponding Nmin is
[Nmin] csf= 0 = 2 ~/ pf gD (27)
Thus, it is equal to the bifurcation buckling force
Nor given in (9).
THE STRESSED FLOATI NG PLATE SUBJECTED
TO A MOVI NG LOAD P
It is assumed that the plate is subjected to a force
P which moves with a constant velocity, v, , as shown
in Fig. 5. The problem is governed by the differential
equations
a2w F a ~ l
DV4xy w + NV2xyW + Psh - ~ + pfgw - Pf["~'t J =
- - ' - z ~0
= P S ( x - v o t ) 8 ( y )
Vx2yz = 0
(28)
272
the matching condition
~o 3t (29)
the boundary condition
z=H
and the regularity conditions for w and ~5 as x 2 +y2
It is further assumed that after a time t, a steady
state will exist. This assumption permits to transform
out the time variable by means of the transformation
t = X - r o t ; r~ = y ; f = z (31)
The resulting formulation consists of the differential
equations
[12w
4 2 PshV 2 - ~
DT ~ w + NV~nw + + p f g w +
a[_~,] (32)
+ p f o o = P ~ ( t ) 6 ( r / )
~'=0
V ~ n ~ = 0
the matching condition
= -Vo (33)
~- o at
the boundary condition
: 0 ( 3 4,
~ H
and the regularity conditions for w and q~ as ~2 + r12
l w w 1
lim w, ~ , , . . . . . -~ 0 (35)
The resulting formulation differs from the one
used by Kheisin (1963, 1967) a nd Nevel (1968)
2
in that it contains the term NV~nw in the first equa-
tion in (32). To solve the ~ problem, we proceed
as done in Kheisin (1967) and Nevel (I968).
We introduce the double Fourier transforms
~(a,/3) = / / w(~j,r/)e-i(a~+an)dtdr/ (36)
- - o o - - o o
Ub(~,~,~*) = / / , ( t , r l , ~*) e- i ( ~+On) dt dr l (37)
Multiplying the second equation in (32) by e - i ( ~ + On)
and integrating it as indieated in ( 3 7 ) we obtain
- - + - + e-i(cq+~n)d~dr/ = 0
. . . . . . Ot 2 ~7 2
(38)
Using integration by parts, noting regularity condi-
tion (35) and the definition (37), above equation
becomes
az~
- - - 7 2 ~ = 0 0 ~ < ~ ' < c o ( 3 9)
a~ -2
where
~,2 = or2 + 132 (40)
The same transformation performed on boundary
conditions (33) and (34) yields
[ a%_~_~ ] = - l a Y o f f (41)
k o $ ..I
~ o
[ 0 L =0_
The general solution of (39) is
= A 1 e-Tf + A 2 e'r~ (43)
Noting the boundary conditions in (41) and (42),
becomes
~(a,/3,~') - i av o eosh 7 ( H - ~') ~, (afl ) (44)
-r sinh ~/ H
The same transformation performed on the first
differential equation in (32) yields
( ~ )
+ p r g ) ~ + ~Of Ooa[ ~] ~o = / ' (45)
273
Since according to (44)
iaoo
[U~] r~0 3' tanh (3'/-/)
eqn. (45) becomes, noting (40),
I D - N7 2+ pfg- 0 2 o [psh (x 2+ 3' tanh pfa=(7 //)-I iI~=P}
Denoting, as done previously,
14 D Ps h 2 V2o
- ; P = ; V o -
pf g pf l gl
above equation may be rewritten as follows:
(46)
(47)
= (48)
P l P f g
N/2 (3'/)2 V~o [/a(a/)2 + (a/)2 ]
1 + (3'/)4 _ . O 3'1 tanh 7/-/
Inverting ~ , it follows that
P ~ f ei ( ~ + ~ )
w(~31) - 47r2pfg _ _ a-ba2] 3" 2 d~cl~ (49)
where
NI 2
a = 1 + (3'/'04 -- T (3'/)2
b = Vo 2 Lu(3'/) 2 + 3'I cotanh(3'H)]
It may be shown (Nevel, 1968), that w --> o~ when
a =b (51)
and
~a ~b
- - - ( 5 2 )
~3' a3'
These are the conditions for the determination of
the critical velocity Vo.
It should be noted that these two conditions may
also be written as
(50)
a - b = 0 ( 53 )
and
[a-b] = 0 ( 5 4 )
0(3'0
and t hat t hey are identical to eqn. (24' ) and eqn.
(26), when the variable (i,/) is replaced by (M) and
the parameter Vo by Vsf. Since the variable (7/)
or (od), determined from (54) or (26) are identical,
it follows that the resulting equation (53) for the
determination of Vo and eqn. (24' ) for the deter-
ruination of Vsf are identical. Thus, as expected, the
critical velocity vo is the same as (csf)min. Hence, the
dependence of the critical velocities vcr upon the
axial force field N is as shown in Fig. 6 for (csf)min
and is reproduced in Fig. 7 for h=30 cm and 90 cm.
The dependence of vet upon N and h was obtained
by numerically evaluating eqn. (24' ) and eqn. (26)
for H =oo, noting that (Csf)min = Vcr. The obtained
results are shown in Fig. 8.
h=90(cm)
h=30(cm) I.~
Vcr
(VCr)N=O
h = 90(cm)
0 5 ~ N
%
!
0 0.5 10
30
Fig. 7. Dependence of critical velocity on the in-plane com-
pression field.
N/Nor
h) ~ - 0 . 90
I Vcr( mp - 0 . 60
- 0 . 30
0
"0.30
/ *0.60
10 * 0. 9 0
h (cm)
o; . . . . r~ ' =
~ 3 20 30 4 0 6O
20
Fig. 8. Dependence of critical velocity on the plate thickness
forH= o0.
274
CONCLUSI ONS
Accordi ng to t he obt ai ned results, t he critical
velocities of a movi ng load, may be subst ant i al l y
affected by a uni f or m i n-pl ane force field i n a fl oat i ng
ice plate. It is shown t hat for an increasing compres-
sion force field the critical velocity vcr decreases,
approachi ng t he value zero as N..*Ncr, and t hat for an
increasing t ensi on force field ocr increases. Graphs
are present ed t o show this dependence, assuming t hat
t he average ice paramet ers are E = 50, 000 kgf/ cm 2
and v = 0. 34.
Thus, when vehicles are moved over fl oat i ng ice
covers, especially as part of a test program t o deter-
mi ne the Ocr values (Eyre and Hest erman, 1976;
Eyre, 1977; Beltaos, 1981), the possible occurrence
of i n-pl ane forces shoul d be t aken i nt o consi derat i on.
AC KNOWL E DGEME NTS
This research was support ed by t he Cold Regions
Research and Engi neeri ng Laborat ory ( CRREL) . The
aut hor wishes t o t hank G. Fr ankenst ei n, A. Assur and
D.E. Nevel for reviewing t he paper before publ i cat i on
and for hel pful discussions on the dynami c response
of floating ice plates.
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