Numerical analysis of ice loads on Taraldsvikfossen dam

Static ice loads (ice actions) are a key design parameter for dams in cold climates. Since 2012,ice stresses have been measured at Taraldsvikfossen reservoir located in Narvik, Norway. Similar to earlier observations in Canada, it became evident from the first three years of data that various effects resulted in stresses, including thermal expansion and water level fluctuations, and that the relative dominance of the processes varied between seasons. A numerical model, using the commercially available finite element software LS-DYNA, is presented for the prediction of the stress field in an ice sheet due to temperature changes and water fluctuations as a function of time, under a variety of conditions. The finite element model accounts for variable temperature and properties through the thickness, an elastic foundation representation of the underlying water, nonlinear constitutive behavior of the ice, temperature dependent mechanical properties, flexibility of resisting structures. For verification of the numerical model, results from simulation are compared with measured temperatures and
stresses at Taraldsvikfossen reservoir.