Ice strength

[mattmull10]

Im kind of curious about ice strength.  I've seen all the charts before but I normally like to add atleast 2-3" to all those charts and today I saw something that boggled my mind and me and my freinds disagreed a bit ab out it.  I was fishing on the Northern End of Lake Champlain today in NY and their was about 8" of ice(in my opinion not nearly enough to bring out my pickup), but one of our freindly neighbors to the north decided he didnt want to walk the 100 yards to jig up some perch so he comes out on the ice with his old cheavy blazer beater(if he lost it, no big deal its only a cheavy) ok so he comes out you hear a little snap crackle and pop, next his buddy comes out onto the ice in a big FORD F250 and parks right next to him, I almost went to the bathroom in my Long Johns, i thought for sure they were going for a swim and I was going ot have to take the 5 mile detour to get back to my rig, however the ice did hold them.  Were they lucky or is 8" of ice really that strong? Just curious if anyone knows.

Matt

[bigredonice]

the ice CAN be that strong, although it really is quite a risk

where on northern champlain were you?

kings bay? rouses point? kelly bay? monty's bay?

[Polar]

Inches* Activities
2 Walking
4 Fishing
5 Snowmobiles
8-12 Vehicles
* Inches of new, clear ice.
Note: River ice is usually 15 percent weaker
than pond or lake ice.

 I'll fish on 2 inches of good ice thats me. The above is just a general idea.

[Trophy Hunter]

I had the same thing happen to me this year with 8" three full sized 4x4s came rolling up to where i was fighing snappin crackin and poppin man it was trippy but they were allright didn't go through the one guy said he drives out on only 4" not for me thanks!!

[mattmull10]

I was fishing Cat Fish Bay I believe, caught a 7lb pike no perch action at all.  Bit died altogether at 10am

[JiggerMan]

i think that 8 inches of clear black ice could a vehicle but i would think that they were pushing the bit with both wehicles parked beside each other. 

I would never take a vehicle out on the ice though.  i saw a truck stuck in the ice last year up on sodus bay though.  it turns out the guy was driving along and hit a soft patch of surface slush ice and the truck went in up to the axles and frame and that night it dipped to -5 degrees and the truck froze into the ice.  i never did fiond out if the guy got his truck out of the ice or not.

JiggerMan

[dogfish]

The ice figures that polar posted are a generalization.  There are many types/phases of ice and that list is "worst case scenario".  New clear ice (not the white "snow" ice) has great elastic qualities and can support much more weight than posted as the ice gets older as with anything it becomes more rigged or brittle.  toward the end of the season you start to get the honeycomb ice, then it is time to put away the tip ups.

[Poorboy]

The Maine lawbook gives these figures but says that they do not apply to "parked loads". 


2"- One person on foot
3"- Group of people walking single file
7-1/2"- Passenger car (2 ton gross)
8"- Light truck (2-1/2 ton gross)
10"- Medium truck (3-1/2 ton gross)
12"- Heavy truck (7-8 ton gross)
15"- Heavy truck (10 ton gross)
20"- 25 tons
25"- 45 tons
30"- 70 tons
36"- 110 tons

  I would be especially wary of several adjacent "parked loads", but once our ice gets to 15-20 inches, you can see there isn't much danger.  8 inches of ice wouldn't fill me with confidence.

[billbo]

A friend of mines Grandfather always said: " 4"-6" of ice will hold a horse, 1"-2" will hold a horses a*s. "
He fished till his 70's so I never doubted him.

[HeavyChevy]

Man and to think my big azz is afraid to be on 6 inchs of ice.

[John_BZ]

http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/ice/ice_load.html
Most ice data is usually taken from  the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and engineering laboratory found on this army corp of engineers website above.
here is a moving load chart(I think) from that that site. on the thickness scale it goes by 1 until ten then after that it goes by tens to sixty.