Indentation behaviour of interlocked structures made of ice:: Influence of the friction coefficient

The influence of the friction coefficient on the indentation behavior of an interlocked material is presented. Ice can be used to provide easily interlocked structures, and that the effect of the friction coefficient can be investigated in this system. Ice block is a good model material to test possible geometries and has the property of providing an easy way of changing the friction coefficients between blocks, simply by changing the testing temperature. This simple analog system will allow in a near future to test innovative geometries. A systematic modeling of the interlocked materials, coupling FEM for the block/block interaction, and a discrete element simulation for the collective behavior, is in progress.