STRAIN ENERGY CRITERION FOR FAILURE OF FLOATING ICE SHEETS.

A failure criterion for floating ice sheets under stationary loads is presented, based on the concept of strain energy per unit volume and the results of some 40 prototype loading tests. The practical requirement for a time-independent failure criterion for ice, which is a Viscoelastic materials and thus subject to creep, is noted. Existing failure criteria are reviewed and shown to be unable to handle many practical situations. Subsequently, the concept of strain energy per unit volume is formulated and shown to provide a satisfactory failure criterion under varied loading histories.