Experimental research and FEM simulation on the mechanical performance of a new type of assembled ice rink

Abstract:

To transform the swimming pool of the National Aquatics Center into a curling field for the 2022 Winter Olympics, a construction method of a fully assembled curling field with supporting structure was proposed in consideration of a new ice-making method. Based on the results of field test and finite element analysis conducted on the assembled ice rink, the characteristics of the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of the assembled ice rink were studied. The overall deformation and the stress level of each component of the ice rink under service loads were analyzed, and the stress, deformation, and cracking in ice layer under extreme loads were discussed emphatically. The research shows that the proposed assembled ice rink had greater stiffness and loading capacity, which can meet the requirements of curling games in Winter Olympics. This kind of ice rink should be operated by a light ice resurfacing machine, since ice cracking is likely to be generated under bending and shearing actions of wheel load of large ice resurfacing machines.