Strengthening of Ice Cover with a Composite Material Based on Fresh Ice and Basalt Fiber

An ice cover made of a composite material based on an ice matrix and basalt fiber has been formed using layer-by-layer freezing. The efficiency of reinforcing the ice cover of reservoirs in cold regions with basalt fiber is experimentally estimated. The formation of a 0.05-m-thick layer of composite material containing 0.3 vol % basalt fiber on a natural ice cover is found to increase the load-bearing capacity of ice by 80%.