Material tests and execution methods of linear composite pykrete structural elements

Pykrete, a material composed of water and one or more additives (Pronk, 2019 a), is applied mostly in shell-like struc- tures. The performances of linear elements made of this material are being researched for structural applications. Me- chanical properties of linear structural pykrete composite elements are examined through experimental testing and the data is evaluated to determine the effect of the geometries of the samples in terms of strength reductions. Generally, tests on linear samples give lower strength values than earlier tests on smaller, non-slender samples. The geometry thus impacts the effective strength properties of the structural elements, with scale and slenderness being detrimental to the failure stresses. Between tests, the reduction varies from less than half to almost the same as the reference value. The apparent reduction in strength can be used as a design principle for structural applications. Since the research explores new types of samples and samples of a larger scale than in previous tests, unexpected factors affect the results. These can be taken into account in future research. Regarding the test procedures, a multitude of improvements is presented for obtaining more reliable and accurate test results. Numerical simulations are made for comparison and the implica- tions of simplified modeling are explained. The linear composite structural elements are applied in a tower that is con- structed during a competition, the execution of which poses additional topics for further research.