Ice? Ice is quite an interesting material and can be found in various location, forms, and shapes on this planet and around the solar system. The mechanics of ice are researched around the world today for varying reasons: the flow of glaciers has kept people guessing as to what causes this phenomenon over the centuries. The strength and properties of ice are important for engineering projects around the world. The construction of ice breakers depends on our knowledge of ice forces; offshore exploration is a less costly venture since ice properties are being researched and the results implemented into the construction of drilling platforms. The investigation of ice has also enabled us to build ice roads and runways in remote locations, e.g. Antarctica. A major branch of engineering is concerned with ice jams in rivers and their negative impact on adjacent settlements and transportation in the region. So, what is this stuff - ICE? Ice is an anisotropic material meaning that its properites vary with the direction of the ice grains. While ice can take quite a large load along the main or c-axis of the grain, it does take significantly less impact to fail perpendicular to that axis. The behavior of ice under load is dependant on the temperature of the ice and the strain rate on the material. While large rapidly applied stress exhibit brittle properties, a lower strain rate causes the ice to behave ductile. And while a high strain rate causes almost immediate fractures under compression as well as under tension, at lower strain rates a transition exists where the ice goes from ductile to brittle behavior. Figure 1: I, II, and III denote low-, intermediate-, and high-strain rates. The arrows indicate either ductile (horizontal) or brittle (vertical) behavior.       (from http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9902/Schulson-9902.fig.3.lg.gif)