Comparative analysis of regulatory methods of calculating ice loads on conical structures

Abstract: The recent discovery and the beginning of the development of oil and gas fields of the Arctic and Pacific continental shelves have necessitated the construction of unique engineering equipment to drill, extract and transport resources. In this connection, the issue of security of activities in the ice-bound conditions came up. The basic factors determining the choice of engineering solutions to deal with the offshore hydrocarbon deposits in Arctic are the parameters of the ice conditions from which the ice load results. The relevance of determining ice loads and effects on the constructions of the continental shelf is heightened by the following factors: high dynamism of the ice cover with its pronounced stochasticity, the gaps in knowledge of the ice conditions of the offshore zones, and, consequently, the lack of information to calculate the ice conditions, the not adequately studied mechanisms of the formation of ice loads and effects, the lack of experience in construction engineering in these conditions, and the high standards set to construction objects. The article presents the comparative analysis of the regulatory methods of calculating ice loads on conical structures produced by smooth ice cover and it contains the valuation of their options for constructions in the Russian shelves.