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Success Stories
Static Ice Loads On Hydro-Electric Structures
  
(photo 1: Hinge nearly Outgrown by subsequent ice growth; photo 2: Vertical Crack at the Arnprior Dam)
Although dams have been built and operated for many years in northern climates, the ice loads exerted on them are still not well understood. To better understand static ice loads on hydroelectric structures, a ten-year project was undertaken in which field programs were conducted at sites in Central and Eastern Canada from 1991-92 to 1999-2000 to:
(a) Measure the Loads in the Ice Sheet near the Dam
(b) Measure the Load Distribution between a Gate and Pier
(c) Compare the loads on wooden and steel stoplogs
Parallel work was conducted to develop analytical predictors for these ice loads.
Much progress has been made towards understanding ice loads on dams. Methods have been developed to predict the ice load, utilizing an environmental model comparing well to the measured data. Hindcast analyses were carried out to evaluate the distribution of expected ice temperature changes and thermal events while with respect to the loads on gates and stoplogs, an analytical method was developed to extend the results obtained in this project to other stoplog or gate configurations (i.e., spans, flexural rigities, etc) and pier lengths.
An end result of this research has been the production of an Ice Load Design Guide, synthesizing the results obtained from various previous years, and establishing a statistical database that allows ice loads to be calculated in a coherent format for:
(a) The long face of a dam for various locations, water level change operational regimes, return periods and confidence levels. These ice loads would be applicable to dam safety analyses.
(b) Stoplogs for various design cases.
This research is available from CEATI in a special package comprising the Final Summary Report, the Ice Load Design Guide, and the specially-developed Ice Load Prediction Software.
T002700-0206: Static Ice Loads On Hydro-Electric Structures
Part 1: Summary Report
Part 2: Ice Load Design Guide
Part 3: Ice Load Prediction Computer Program
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