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A Mechanical Test Procedure for Avalanche Snow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2018

S. L. McCabe  and
F. W. Smith
S. L. McCabe
Affiliation:
Public Service Company, Platteville, Colorado 8065 I, U.S.A.
F. W. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, U.S.A.
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Abstract

The design, construction and testing of a portable, constant strain-rate testing machine for determining the mechanical behavior of avalanche now is described. The machine is intended for use in determining the stress-strain-time behavior of low-density natural snow in the field. A technique for making direct measurements of strain in the snow sample is described and stress-strain curves are presented for strain-rates ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 × 10−5 s−1. The densities of the snow samples tested range from 186 to 335 kg m−3. Ultimate-strength data and relaxation curves are also presented.

Type
Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Symposium but not Published in Full in this Volume
Information
Journal of Glaciology , Volume 19 , Issue 81 , 1977 , pp. 657
Copyright
Copyright © International Glaciological Society 1977

Discussion

In the absence of the authors, questions were answered by R. A. Sommerfeld.

T. Lang: The claim is made in the paper that strain-rates of the order 10−8 s−1 can be imposed. It would be helpful to show that rates of this order can be handled by the instrument, particularly in measuring the physical deformation constants.

R. A. Sommerfeld: The gearing of the machine would allow strain-rates of 10−8 8 s−1. Very low deformation rates may require some special techniques because of the long times involved.