The Compression Test

by Cam Campbell

Site selection any fracture as moderate (Table 1). While

Above all, test sites need to be safe, moderate taps should be harder than easy
which means at the top of small slopes with no taps, they should not be as hard as one can
terrain traps. They need to be representative of reasonably tap with the knuckles.
the avalanche terrain under consideration (i.e. to 8. Finally, hit the shovel blade moving arm
gain information about a wind-loaded slope, find from the shoulder 10 times with open hand
a safe and undisturbed part of a similarly loaded or fist and rate any fractures as hard (Table
slope for the test). They also need to be 1). If the moderate taps were too hard, the
undisturbed (i.e. the site should not contain operator will often try to hit the shovel with
buried ski tracks, avalanche deposits, etc., or be even more force for the hard taps - and may
within about 5 m of trees where buried layers hurt his or her hand.
might have been disturbed by clumps of snow 9. Rate any identified weak layers that did not
that have fallen from branches). Compression fracture as no fracture (Table 1).
tests can be performed on slopes of any angle,
including flat terrain, however care must be
taken to observe fractures on low-angled slopes
where the slab doesn’t slide.

Procedure
The Canadian Avalanche Association’s
Observation Guidelines and Recording
Standards for Weather, Snowpack and
Avalanches (CAA, 2007) recommends the
following procedure:
1. Isolate a 30 cm x 30 cm column of snow
deep enough to expose potential weak
layers on the smooth walls of the column
(Figure 1). The uphill dimension is measured Figure 1 - Compression test technique and
slope-parallel. A depth of 100-120 cm is column dimensions (CAA, 2007).
usually sufficient since the compression test
rarely produces fractures in deeper weak Table 1 – Description of compression test loading
layers. Also, taller columns tend to wobble steps (CAA, 2007).
during tapping, potentially producing
misleading results for deep weak layers. Term Description
2. Rate any fractures that occur while isolating
the column as very easy (Table 1). Very easy Fractures during cutting.
3. Place a shovel blade on top of the column
(Figure 1). Tap 10 times with fingertips, Fractures before 10 light taps using
moving hand from wrist, and rate any Easy
finger tips only.
fractures as easy (Table 1)).
4. If the snow surface slopes, remove a wedge Fractures before 10 moderate taps
Moderate
of snow to level the top of the column. from elbow using finger tips.
5. If, during tapping, the upper part of the
column slides off or no longer “evenly” Fractures before 10 firm taps from
Hard
supports further tapping on the column, whole arm using palm or fist.
remove the damaged part of the column,
level the new top of the column and continue No fracture Does not fracture.
tapping.
6. Do not remove the portion of the column
The compression test may not produce
above a fractured weak layer, provided that
useful results for weak layers that are very close
it evenly supports further tapping, since
to the snow surface as thin soft slabs tend to be
further tapping may cause fractures in
crushed by the easy taps. A shovel tilt, or burp,
shallower weak layers.
test may be useful here. This involves balancing
7. Tap 10 times with the fingertips or knuckles
a shovel-blade-sized block of snow vertically on
moving forearm from the elbow, and rate
your shovel and tapping, or burping, the it was, 100% of the slopes with easy
underside of the blade. compression test results would have been skier-
triggered. Although it is promising to note that
Fracture character none of the slopes for which the compression
Fracture character is often difficult to tests produced no failures were skier-triggered.
observe. To make it easier, the front face and
side walls of the test column should be as
smooth as possible. The observer should be
positioned in such a way that one side wall and
the entire front face of the test column can be
observed and attention ould be focused on weak
layers or interfaces that are likely to fracture. For
tests on low-angled terrain that produced planar
fractures, it may be useful to slide the two
fracture surfaces across one another by
carefully grasping the two sides of the block and
pulling while noting the resistance (CAA, 2007).
Characterize the fracture according to Table 2.

Interpretation
Figure 2 shows that as the number of Figure 2 - Frequency of skier-triggering versus
taps increases, the likelihood of skier-triggering compression test score and the average number
the same slope decreases. These data were of taps on slopes that were ski-tested. The
collected by performing two to four adjacent average number of taps was calculated from
compression tests at representative sites on results of 2-4 adjacent tests (Applied Snow and
slopes that were skier-tested and averaging the Avalanche Research, University of Calgary
taps for the primary weak layer. Irregular or data).
indistinct results were not counted, only clean
and planar. The compression test isn’t perfect. If
Table 2 – Fracture character classification system (CAA, 2007)

Major class Sub class Fracture characteristics

Sudden planar
A thin planar* fracture suddenly crosses column in one
Sudden (pop, clean and fast
loading step AND the block slides easily** on the weak layer.
(pops and fracture)
drops)
Sudden collapse Fracture crosses the column with a single loading step and is
(drop) associated with a noticeable collapse of the weak layer.

A fracture of noticeable thickness (non-planar fractures often

Progressive compression
greater than 1 cm), which usually crosses the column with a
(step by step “squashing”
single loading step, followed by step-by-step compression of
Resistant of a layer)
the layer with subsequent loading steps.
(others)
Planar or mostly planar fracture that requires more than one
Resistant planar loading step to cross column and/or the block does NOT
slide easily** on the weak layer.

Break
Non-planar break Non-planar, irregular fracture.
( others)

Note: * “Planar” based on straight fracture lines on front and side walls of column.
** Block slides off column on steep slopes. On low-angle slopes, hold sides of the block and
note resistance to sliding.
 On seemingly uniform slopes, Hard fractures that “pop” or “drop” should be
compression test results can vary significantly interpreted with much less certainty than other
within a metre or two. One way to reduce the characters.
uncertainty associated with this spatial variability
of has already been mentioned: if you’re going References
to do compression tests, do at least two and Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA). 2007.
average the taps for a specific layer. Secondly, Observation guidelines and recording
only rely on the score (very easy, easy, standards for weather, snowpack and
moderate, hard or no fracture) and don’t get avalanches. Canadian Avalanche
caught up with the actual number of taps. Association, Revalstoke, BC, Canada.
Finally, by incorporating fracture
character observations into compression test van Herwijnen, A.F.G. 2005. Fractures in weak
results, not only are we reducing the uncertainty snowpack layers in relation to slab
associated with spatial variability but we are also avalanche release. PhD thesis. Dept. of
improving the interpretation (van Herwijnen, Civil Engineering, University of Calgary,
2005). Sudden fractures that “pop” or “drop” are Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
more often associated with dry slab avalanches.