Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for minimizing the horizontal forces on an offshore arctic structure due to ice movement. The structure includes a base portion, sloped side walls and a smooth, unobstructed top portion. The structure is substantially submerged in a body of water with the top portion at or near the water surface permitting floating ice sheets which strike the side walls to flex slightly upward and advance along and over the structure without substantially destroying the overall integrity of the ice sheet. In this manner, the horizontal forces on the structure resulting from the ice sheet are minimized due to the elimination of a crushing failure mode of the ice sheet commonly associated with conventional offshore arctic structures.

Abstract: An improved offshore arctic structure is disclosed which controls the horizontal forces exerted by impinging ice masses. The structure includes lesser sloped wall sections near the sea floor and steeper sloped wall sections near the water surface. Thus, the deep pressure ridges contact the lesser sloped wall sections and the shallower ice sheets contact the steeper sloped wall section. The slope of all wall sections is chosen so as to keep all horizontal loads due to impinging ice masses below a preselected design maximum.