This thesis contains the results of a laboratory study conducted on samples of equaxial polycrystalline ice. These samples were prepared in the, laboratory to reproduce ice similar to that used during previous studies reported in the literature. The ice was tested at temperatures warmer than -2.0°C to establish the flow law which governs the creep behaviour of this ice under various loading conditions.

Uniaxial compression experiments were conducted under a. constant stress and the resuts Suggest that a Cottrell-Aytekin type relationship reproduces the strain-time data. This relationship reproduced the experimental results provided, the exponent on the time was expressed as a function of the axial stress. The measured strain-time curves suggest that at strains less than the onset of tertiary strain no prolonged steady state creep was observed.

Comparison of the minimum strain rate data at each stress with the results of constant strain rate experiments revealed a size effect influence on the data. When this size effect influence was accounted for, the laboratory data and the comparison of this data with previous results suggest the flow law of ice is best represented by a simple power law with an exponenton the stress of 3.0. Experiments conducted under complex stress conditions revealed that this flow law is a function only of the second stress invariant.

Punch penetration. experiments. were also conducted on this ice. Analysis of this data determined that cavity expansion would model the punch, penetration. This mode allowed the laboratory data to be predicted using the flow law established from the uniaxial experiments. The depth of embedment of the punch beneathithe surface had no influence on the punch resistance during a constant penetration rate.

The finite element method was used to analyse the uniaxial compression and the punch experiments. The results of the analysis compared closely with the laboratory measured data. The analysis of a púunch embedded beneath the surface confirmed the lack of influence of the embedment on the deformation results.