Move harvested ice to the ice house on a sled, wheelbarrow or cart, quickly and covered, because every hour in the open air costs ice. A 30 x 40 x 25 cm block weighs about 27 kg, and a sled load of six weighs about 162 kg, which takes roughly 540 N to haul up a 1-in-4 ramp with an assumed friction coefficient of 0.1, more than one person should pull. On flat ground ice blocks slide well on wooden runners, but on any slope steeper than the friction coefficient the load will run away on its own.
Part of Ice Houses and Cold Storage
Ice transport is the short, heavy haul from the cutting site to the ice house. Its two problems are the weight of the blocks and the heat the ice gains while it travels.
The Load Is Heavy And The Clock Is Running
Ice that sits in the sun or in warm air melts, and every block you lose is a block you cut for nothing. So plan the haul before cutting: a short route, a ready sled and a crew at the ice house to take blocks as they arrive.
What You Need
- A sled, wheelbarrow or cart — a sled with wooden runners is best on snow and ice. See Sled and Travois Construction.
- Ramps — wooden or packed snow, from water level to the bank and from the ground up to a vehicle bed.
- Tongs or hooks — for gripping blocks.
- A cover — straw, sawdust, sacking or canvas to shield the load.
- A route — short, smooth and kept clear.
Method: Haul The Ice
Step 1: Make the route short and smooth. Stamp or scrape the track flat. Rough ground jolts blocks and slows the sled.
Step 2: Load low and balanced. Place blocks flat, tight to each other, with the heaviest over the runners. Do not stack higher than the sled can carry without tipping.
Step 3: Cover the load. A layer of straw or sawdust, or a canvas, cuts the heat the ice takes from sun and air.
Step 4: Haul at a steady pace. Move quickly, but do not run, since slipping under a load is how backs and ankles fail.
Step 5: Hand over at the ice house. Have the crew at the ice house ready so blocks go straight in. See Ice Stacking.
Worked Example: How Hard A Ramp Is To Pull
Inputs (assumptions marked): a block of 30 x 40 x 25 cm, 27 kg; a sled load of six blocks, 6 x 27 = 162 kg; a ramp rising 1 m in 4 m; an assumed friction coefficient of 0.1 between runners and the surface; g = 9.81 m/s2.
- Ramp angle: tan(angle) = 1/4, so the angle is 14.0 degrees, sine 0.2425 and cosine 0.9701.
- Load weight: 162 x 9.81 = 1,589 N.
- Force along the slope: 1,589 x 0.2425 = 385 N.
- Friction: 0.1 x 1,589 x 0.9701 = 154 N.
- Pull to move the sled up the ramp: 385 + 154 = 539 N, about 540 N, the weight of about 55 kg.
For a single block: 27 x 9.81 = 265 N; slope 64 N; friction 26 N; total 90 N, about the weight of 9 kg, which one person can drag.
Runaway. A load starts to slide on its own when the slope exceeds the friction coefficient. With 0.1, that is any slope steeper than 1 in 10 (10 percent). Wooden runners on ice have lower friction than the assumed 0.1, so the sled runs away on even gentler slopes. Treat every slope as one that needs control.
Common Mistakes
- Over-loading the sled — 162 kg up a ramp needs more than one hauler.
- Leaving ice uncovered on the way — the sun takes it back.
- Hauling in the warm part of the day — move ice in the cold of morning when you can.
- No brake on slopes — a loaded sled runs into the people hauling it.
- Stacking blocks too high — the load tips on a rough track.
Safety
Sliding loads crush
A sled of 162 kg that starts to run down a slope can crush the person in front of it. Never stand downslope of a loaded sled, keep a rope or drag line on the rear, and use a second person to brake on any slope. Lifting a 27 kg block from low ice or the ground is a back injury waiting to happen; use tongs and two people, and bend the knees. On the frozen pond, keep the load spread. See Ice Thickness Requirements.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Ice Stacking — pack the blocks in the house
- Combine with: Ice House Construction — place the house near the pond