REVERSED DIRECT-STRESS TESTING OF ICE - EQUIPMENT AND EXAMPLE RESULTS

This paper describes in detail a recently developed fixture for performing completely reversed (e.g., tension to compression) uniaxial stress experiments on ice. The device rigidly holds an ice specimen having bonded end caps without loading the specimen or inducing a bending moment. It is self aligning and hydraulically actuated. One of the important and unique features of the system is that it corrects for end-cap misalignment at the end cap rather that at some distance from it. The ideas underlying the design of the system are discussed. The results of a number of experiments are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the device and to illustrate the types of mechanical property information that can be generated using this experimental technique. © 1990.