Ice Flexural Properties Using Four-Point Bending Test for the Ice Runway at Huhenuoer Lake

Seasonal lake-ice runways provide low-carbon winter infrastructure for cold-region logistics, yet direct links between ice flexural mechanics and runway design remain scarce. To address this gap, we investigated seasonal ice from Huhenuoer Lake and proposed a mechanics-based methodology for determining key design parameters. On 14 March 2024, an ice block was hoisted and tested in a cold laboratory after several days. Full-depth investigation revealed that throughout the entire-depth range, the ice consists exclusively of columnar ice with a mean density of 0.89 g/cm3 and a mean grain size of 15.88 mm. Subsequently, four-point bending tests gave an average effective flexural elastic modulus of 3.31 GPa and flexural strength of 2813 kPa. Furthermore, statistical analysis showed both properties decrease with temperature and are lower in higher-porosity specimens. Based on these results, we established a systematic procedure to derive design flexural strength, effective flexural elastic modulus, and ice thickness. When applied to the potential Huhenuoer Lake-ice runway, this method yields values of 2800 kPa, 3.24 GPa, and 30 cm for the An-2 (design flexural strength, design effective flexural elastic modulus, and design ice thickness, respectively); the same method can be used to obtain the corresponding values for other aircraft. As lake ice is locally sourced, recyclable, and temporary, it can serve as a low-carbon material for construction purposes.