Engineering: Ice Mechanics

Consulting Services Since  1975

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Ice- and iceberg-structure interaction models are essential for the successful design of cold regions offshore structures.

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Arctic Engineering

Ice Mechanics

Pipeline Engineering

Bercha Group principals have participated in the evolution of applied mechanics since the commencement of offshore oil and gas exploration in the North American Arctic in the early 1970s.

Our ice mechanics services include:

• Ice condition surveys and mapping

• Preliminary ice load and pressure design parameters

• Ice load and pressure design atlas for North American Arctic

• Iceberg loads and pressures on gravity based structures

• Probabilistic ice load and pressure predictions

• Finite element models of ice rheology

• Nonlinear ice/structure/foundation interaction numerical models

• Ice/ocean/atmosphere modeling

• Thermodynamic modeling of ice growth and decay

• Oil spill in ice analysis

Sensitivity of pipeline failure rate to ridge characteristics and pipeline burial depth

Summary of experience:

• We helped develop ice structure analysis for design and operation of artificial islands, bottom founded structures, and floating systems for exploration or production in ice and iceberg populated regions.

• Our experience in ice and iceberg mechanics spans a variety of geographic and climatic zones, including the Marginal Ice Zones of the Bering, Barents, Okhotsk, Labrador Seas, and Gulf of St. Lawrence, High Arctic Multi-year Pack Ice, Beaufort Sea landfast, shear, and pack ice, and iceberg populated areas off Labrador and the Grand Banks.

• We are a valuable member of any offshore cold regions project team, with our integrated perspective formed from a combination of expertise in ice mechanics, structural and marine engineering, and remote sensing and surveillance, together with our comprehensive experience with ice and icebergs.

Visit our Projects page to find out more.

Arctic Production and Loading Basin (APLB)

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