Tensile strength of sea ice using splitting tests based on the digital image correlation method

The splitting test is a competitive alternative method to study the tensile strength of sea ice owing to its suitability for sampling. However, the approach was questioned to the neglect of local plastic deformation during the tests. In this study, splitting tests were performed on sea ice, with 32 samples subjected to the regular procedure and 8 samples subjected to the digital image correlation method. The salinity, density, and temperature were measured to determine the total porosity. With the advantage of the digital image correlation method, the full-field deformation of the ice samples could be determined. In the loading direction, the samples mainly deformed at the ice–platen contact area. In the direction vertical to the loading, deformation appears along the central line where the splitting crack occurs. Based on the distribution of the sample deformation, a modified solution was derived to calculate the tensile strength with the maximum load. Based on the modified solution, the tensile strength was further calculated together with the splitting test results. The results show that the tensile strength has a negative correlation with the total porosity, which agrees with previous studies based on uniaxial tension tests.