History and development of ice load calculation method for hydrotechnical structures

The article considers the issues of the historical development of methods for assessing the ice load on hydrotechnical structures. The importance of calculating ice loads for the safety and reliability of offshore structures in cold climates is underlined. The article points to the existence of old empirical methods for calculating ice load and gives the current state of the art in this field. The development of international standards and guidelines for ice load assessment is cited as an example of the development of this area of expertise. The empirical methods used to estimate ice load prior to the development of modern standards are indicated, and their limitations and dependence on empirical data are emphasized. The use of modern numerical methods, including the discrete element method (DEM), which provides more accurate and reliable estimates of ice loads on offshore structures, seems to be a significant step forward in the assessment of these loads. The article mentions the advantages of DEM over traditional methods and also discusses modern software packages that can be used for discrete modeling of ice loads on offshore structures, including commercial and open source options. In conclusion, the need for continuous improvement of calculation methods is emphasized, as this directly affects not only the cost, but also the reliability and safety of offshore marine hydrotechnical structures.