SAMCoT - Annual Report 2015

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37 SAMCoT • ANNUAL REPORT 2015
WORK PACKAGE 4 (WP4)
The goal of WP4 is to develop new knowledge, together with the analytical and numerical
models needed by the industry to improve the prediction of loads exerted by first- and
multi-year sea ice, ice ridges and icebergs on floating structures. Eleven researchers
and five PhD candidates have been involved in this work. The work on floating structures
in ice has concentrated on (1) global ice actions and (2) local ice actions. The discrete
element method (DEM) is widely used in our applications and a major effort in 2015 has
been to continue with developing the theory and numerical models that simulate the
interaction between floating structures and floe-ice, including ice ridges. Hydrodynamic
effects are included. The theory behind the different physical processes is developed
and numerically implemented in the numerical simulator. In this regard researchers
use full-scale data and observations. Such a simulation tool can be used to provide safer
and publically-acceptable Arctic offshore activities through independent verification of
structure designs, operational procedures and decision support tools using superior
ice-structure simulation technology. With real-time input the simulator can also be used
as a tool for decision support of ice management operations.