Ice thickness safety charts from AB Works

[PlayDoh]

Here are some charts I found pertaining to ice safety. These go beyond most I've found online and have different thicknesses for traveling and parking, which I never thought of. Apparently after 2 hours the ice begins to sag.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/29/2951f9b340e595bef7ceef24924ef320.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/29/8d35988c2ade6e3d6323c8f802a48741.jpg

Source
https://work.alberta.ca/documents/WHS-PUB_sh011.pdf

[PlayDoh]

Thought this deserves a bump. Maybe even a sticky.

[FishingForLife]

Can never have too many of these. Saved the photo to my phone.

[waterninja]

Yes I'm older and set in some of my way's, but would it really be that difficult for the people who set that site up to have also put the ice thickness measurements in inches? Soon as I see everything in centimeters I just tune it out. Otherwise, it looks like a handy site with great info.

[waterninja]

Well, I must say I'm impressed Jet. I was certainly not expecting someone to go to that trouble. Thanks for the effort. I guess the point I was getting at is if someone is goint to go through the trouble to make such a handy little chart, they might have had the inch's there to begin with.
Yeh yeh, I know that everyone is supposed to be metric and all that, but the measurements never took with me, or a lot of other people who are older. Whats worse, I don't speak, read or write French either. Tough being a Dinosaur.

[Captainslug]

Other websites with ice thickness charts.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ice-thickness-safe-loads-d_1566.html
http://lakeice.squarespace.com/bearing-strength/
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html
http://www.eaglelake1.org/archives/documents/water_quality/US%20Army%20Corps%20Ice%20Thickness%20and%20Streng th%20Guide.pdf
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjE5J2W6NnKAhVFgYMKHVLNAIUQFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dot.gov.nt.ca%2Fmedia%2F3ec65 2fa-828c-41e9-94ae-be425c26e4bc%2F7Fn5bw%2FHighways%2FIce_Constructio n_Field_Guide.pdf&usg=AFQjCNG7iyYDVb4Qv66weIZ9GFmpIuwiJQ&sig2=qfU4xFwVslEaiI-OBXEIXg&bvm=bv.113034660,d.amc

[PlayDoh]

That lake ice.squarespace.com is a good overview for newbies.



How do we make this thread sticky? It may save a few vehicles / lives.


I agree. This is sticky worthy for sure. Nothing is more important to know when it comes to ice fishing.

Thanks for the conversion work.

[PlayDoh]

The Link has changed. Whats important to note about this guide, is safe thickness to drive over, and thickness to park more than 2 hours on.
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7cb49eb1-da52-426f-b022-4957d7911ba4/resource/beccd20a-3d84-443e-9cb2-e104013796f8/download/WHS-PUB-sh011.pdf

After two hours under a load, ice begins to sag and bend, until the ice cover fails. Greater ice
thickness usually means a load can be on the ice cover longer, if it’s clear, good quality ice.




Load Parked or Stationary >2 hours <7 days Minimum Ice Thickness

Person standing 15 cm 6"

Snowmobile: machine & rider < 500 kg 25 cm 10"

Loaded vehicle: GVW 500 to 1,000 kg 32 cm 12.5"

Loaded vehicle: GVW 1,000 to 2,000 kg 41 cm 16.1"

Loaded vehicle: GVW 2,000 to 3,000 kg 46 cm 18.1"

3/4–ton 4x4 vehicle: GVW up to 5,000 kg 55 cm 21.6"

Loads over 5,000 kg refer to Best Practice

[PlayDoh]

Minimum ice thickness for slow moving loads or
loads parked less than 2 hours
Use this table together with the hazard controls outlined in the Ice Safety Plan for the ice cover
you are working on.


Slow Moving Loads (maximum 10 km/h) Minimum Ice Thickness

Person walking (120 kg) 10 cm 3.9"

Snowmobile: machine & rider less than 500 kg 18 cm 7"

3/4–ton 4x4 vehicle: GVW up to 5,000 kg 38 cm 14.9"
Loads over 5,000 kg refer to Best Practice

[Soiler]

Makes sense. I was parked with my 1/2 ton for 3 1/2 hrs fishing on 17" of ice today at Pigeon. And my flasher showed a depth 1 1/2ft shallower after a couple hours... it was a little eerie watching the depth fluctuate with the wind gusts on the screen.

[NSR Fisher]

Did you have any luck at Pigeon?

[Sooner]

Good thread, thanks.

Makes me think of the big ice fishing contests we used to go to where they had you park in one big area on the lake and then walk into the fishing area. I always wondered how much sag there was under those parking spots.

[Hunter4ever12]

That’s really interesting,I never drive on with a vehicle only my sled if there’s snow. But never once thought about ice sagging over time. Some good info right there!

[PlayDoh]

I have a good set up for my needs. I drive on ice every year but never feel good about it.
Something about driving my truck in the same spot I was driving my boat a few months ago seems wrong, lol.
I have a 4x8 utility trailer. I tow the quad out on it with my gear in the back of the truck or van.
Unload the quad and hook the trailer to the quad. Back up the trailer to the back of the truck and bomb the gear in the trailer. And off I go. Not as cozy and warm as a truck, but safer.
I have a flip up tent now, so I’m going to try and load the quad up with gear so the rest will fit in the flip up. I’m not keen on the idea of hauling my auger on its side, bouncing around with the quad. I know people do it all the time, I just want to see if I can do it different.


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[EZM]

Makes sense. I was parked with my 1/2 ton for 3 1/2 hrs fishing on 17" of ice today at Pigeon. And my flasher showed a depth 1 1/2ft shallower after a couple hours... it was a little eerie watching the depth fluctuate with the wind gusts on the screen.

The transducer likely moved. I'm thinking if you are suggesting the ice sagged or deflected a foot and a half (bent 18" under the weight of your vehicle) you would have much bigger issues to worry about.

Deflection on ice is only a few inches at most before things start to go sideways in a real hurry - usually beginning with circular radial cracks. That's a real bad sign if you see those.

What you are talking about is a sag of 18" - it would be very obvious - and quite impossible for you not to see other obvious signs long before that - it would also be very obvious to your eye and would likely flood up through the hole if your truck was nearby.

Likely your transducer moved or some other condition caused the change in readings.

[DiabeticKripple]

I don’t like driving on ice either because I don’t have much experience. I don’t go out if it’s not at least 14” thick and there’s someone else nearby

[PlayDoh]

I think it’s worth noting my 2001 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 extended can with a 6.0L weighs 2700 Kg up to 3000 with a bunch of stuff in it, a full tank and 3-4 people.
Just saying because the 3/4 ton ‘up to 5000 kg’ above.


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[PlayDoh]

7000 lbs is 3175 kg.
According to the 2 hr or more parking chart 18.1 inches is safe for 3000 kg
14 inches is safe for driving a 3/4 ton without a real load.

[Sundancefisher]

I've seen bad situations. The data needs to reach everyone. Some people neglect the fact this is for a stand alone vehicle. You can't park multiple vehicle near each other. Compounded weigh means far more ice is needed for safety.

[Sooner]

I've gone through on a sled, I was in knee deep water but had to had to pull out my GF(wife now) who was 30 feet further out from me with a belly crawl and a dead tree I grabbed from the shore. She was boob deep while standing on the sleds seat. That's more than 20 yrs ago and I still get real nervous driving on ice with a vehicle. Didn't help my truck was a big ole 97 CC long box F350 with a 7.3. Nice and heavy lol.

Now I park either just off shore or in the parking lot if there is enough snow. The sleds come off and gear goes into my nice big Otter sled. Only issue i worry about now is slush/water under the snow when towing but the 800 summit can handle that :) Can pack up and cover more ground with the sleds too. I rarely drive on anymore unless I know there is a ton of ice and I can see other vehicles out there and can follow a good trail. Stuck up to your axles in crusty drifted snow is not fun.