New technologies of ice roads construction to maintain the sustainable cold chain of supply in the northern regions of Russia

Abstract

The article reviews the current state of winter ice roads (winter glacial roads) and presents data that confirm the necessity of their service life extension in order to maintain the uninterrupted cold chain of supply in the northern regions of Russia. The regulatory documents that regulate the design engineering and construction of winter ice roads are analyzed. The existing methods and technologies of winter roads construction have been analyzed. The possibility of using the geosynthetic materials for ice roads reinforcement is considered, as well as possible challenges arising from their use are exposed for consideration. The use of chemical modifiers for the creation of structural materials based on water ice is shown to be prospective and promising, especially in combination with the reinforcement of ice blocks. Modern approaches to choice of ice modifying compounds and materials for ice reinforcing are described, as well as criteria achieved on the basis of their application. The scientific studies confirming the possibility of a significant increase in the bearing capacity of glacial coverage and, as a result, an earlier start of their operation is carried out. It is shown that the combined use of reinforcement and ice modifiers allowed the ice sample to maintain its integrity even under exposure to significant deformation loads. The technical possibility of additional reinforcement of ice transport routes as a result of optimizing the modal parameters of their formation, depending on weather conditions, is also described.