Editing Ice (section)

==Role in human activities==
===Cooling===
[[File:Yakhchal_radiative_cooling.svg|thumb|right|A schematic showing how the ancient yakhchals used ice to provide radiative cooling]]

Ice has long been valued as a means of cooling. In 400 BC Iran, [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] engineers had already developed techniques for ice storage in the desert through the summer months. During the winter, ice was transported from harvesting pools and nearby mountains in large quantities to be stored in specially designed, naturally cooled ''refrigerators'', called [[yakhchal]] (meaning ''ice storage''). Yakhchals were large underground spaces (up to 5000&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>) that had thick walls (at least two meters at the base) made of a specific type of mortar called ''[[sarooj]]'' made from sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash. The mortar was resistant to heat transfer, helping to keep the ice cool enough not to melt; it was also impenetrable by water. Yakhchals often included a [[qanat]] and a system of [[windcatcher]]s that could lower internal temperatures to frigid levels, even during the heat of the summer. One use for the ice was to create chilled treats for royalty.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hosseini |first1=Bahareh |last2=Namazian |first2=Ali |title=An Overview of Iranian Ice Repositories, an Example of Traditional Indigenous Architecture |journal=METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture |year=2012 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=223–234 |doi=10.4305/METU.JFA.2012.2.10 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://eartharchitecture.org/?p=570 |title=Yakhchal: Ancient Refrigerators |date=9 September 2009 |work=Earth Architecture}}</ref>

====Harvesting====
{{Main|Ice cutting|Ice trade}}
There were thriving industries in 16th–17th century England whereby low-lying areas along the [[Thames Estuary]] were flooded during the winter, and ice harvested in carts and stored inter-seasonally in insulated wooden houses as a provision to an icehouse often located in large country houses, and widely used to keep fish fresh when caught in distant waters. This was allegedly copied by an Englishman who had seen the same activity in China. Ice was imported into England from Norway on a considerable scale as early as 1823.<ref name=cne>{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Ice}}</ref>

In the United States, the first cargo of ice was sent from New York City to [[Charleston, South Carolina]], in 1799,<ref name=cne/> and by the first half of the 19th century, ice harvesting had become a big business. [[Frederic Tudor]], who became known as the "Ice King", worked on developing better insulation products for long distance shipments of ice, especially to the tropics; this became known as the ice trade.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hutton |first=Mercedes |title=The icy side to Hong Kong history |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=23 January 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200122-the-icy-side-to-hong-kong-history |accessdate=23 January 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:Ice Harvesting on Lake St Clair Michigan circa 1905--photograph courtesy Detroit Publishing Company.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Harvesting ice on [[Lake St. Clair]] in [[Michigan]], c. 1905]]

Between 1812 and 1822, under [[Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh|Lloyd Hesketh Bamford Hesketh]]'s instruction, [[Gwrych Castle]] was built with 18 large towers, one of those towers is called the 'Ice Tower'. Its sole purpose was to store Ice.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture/gwrych-castle-217018 | title=Gwrych Castle: The astonishing fantasy castle saved by the dreams and bravery of a 12-year-old boy | date=11 November 2020 }}</ref>

[[Trieste]] sent ice to [[Egypt]], [[Corfu]], and [[Zante]]; Switzerland, to France; and Germany sometimes was supplied from [[Bavaria]]n lakes.<ref name=cne/> From 1930s and up until 1994, the [[Hungarian Parliament]] building used ice harvested in the winter from [[Lake Balaton]] for air conditioning.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Nathan |title=The secrets and symbols of Hungary's Parliament building |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=3 January 2019 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/secrets-of-the-hungarian-parliament-building/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317194908/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/secrets-of-the-hungarian-parliament-building/index.html |archive-date=17 March 2019 }}</ref>

[[Ice house (building)|Ice house]]s were used to store ice formed in the winter, to make ice available all year long, and an early type of [[refrigerator]] known as an [[icebox]] was cooled using a block of ice placed inside it. Many cities had a regular ice [[Delivery (commerce)|delivery]] service during the summer. The advent of artificial refrigeration technology made the delivery of ice obsolete.<ref name="Prewitt2023" />

Ice is still harvested for [[List of ice and snow sculpture events|ice and snow sculpture events]]. For example, a [[swing saw]] is used to get ice for the [[Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival]] each year from the frozen surface of the [[Songhua River]].<ref name="coldestcity">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/travel/ice-is-money-in-chinas-coldest-city-20081113-62yj.html|title=Ice is money in China's coldest city|date=13 November 2008|agency=AFP|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=26 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002152548/http://www.smh.com.au/travel/ice-is-money-in-chinas-coldest-city-20081113-62yj.html|archive-date=2 October 2009}}</ref>

====Artificial production====
{{main|Icemaker}}
[[File:PSM V39 D031 Interior of an ice factory.jpg|thumb|Layout of a late 19th-century ice factory]]
The earliest known written process to artificially make ice is by the 13th-century writings of Arab historian [[Ibn Abu Usaybia]] in his book ''Kitab Uyun al-anba fi tabaqat-al-atibba'' concerning medicine in which Ibn Abu Usaybia attributes the process to an even older author, Ibn Bakhtawayhi, of whom nothing is known.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Weir |first1=Caroline |last2=Weir |first2= Robin |title=Ice Creams, Sorbets & Gelati:The Definitive Guide |date=2010 |page=217}}</ref>

Ice is now produced on an industrial scale, for uses including food storage and processing, chemical manufacturing, concrete mixing and curing, and consumer or packaged ice.<ref name="ashrae">[[ASHRAE]]. "Ice Manufacture". ''2006 [[ASHRAE Handbook]]: Refrigeration.'' Inch-Pound Edition. {{nat|p. 34-1.}} {{ISBN|1-931862-86-9}}.</ref> Most commercial [[icemaker]]s produce three basic types of fragmentary ice: flake, tubular and plate, using a variety of techniques.<ref name="ashrae"/> Large batch ice makers can produce up to 75 tons of ice per day.<ref>Rydzewski, A.J. "Mechanical Refrigeration: Ice Making." ''[[Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers]].'' 11th ed. McGraw Hill: New York. pp. 19–24. {{ISBN|978-0-07-142867-5}}.</ref> In 2002, there were 426 commercial ice-making companies in the United States, with a combined value of shipments of $595,487,000.<ref>U.S. Census Bureau. [https://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i312113.pdf "Ice manufacturing: 2002."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722052238/https://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i312113.pdf |date=22 July 2017 }} ''2002 Economic Census''.</ref> Home refrigerators can also make ice with a built in [[icemaker]], which will typically make [[ice cube]]s or crushed ice. The first such device was presented in 1965 by [[Frigidaire]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wroclawski |first1=Daniel |title=How Does an Ice Maker Work? |url=https://reviewed.usatoday.com/refrigerators/features/how-does-an-ice-maker-work |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=21 July 2015 |language=en |access-date=26 May 2024 }}</ref>

===Land travel===
[[File:2015-10-18 07 36 28 Frost on a car windshield on Tranquility Court in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Virginia.jpg|thumb|Ice formation on exterior of vehicle windshield]]
Ice forming on [[road]]s is a common winter hazard, and [[black ice]] particularly dangerous because it is very difficult to see. It is both very transparent, and often forms specifically in shaded (and therefore cooler and darker) areas, i.e. beneath [[overpass]]es.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donegan |first=Brian |date=15 December 2016 |title=What Is Black Ice And Why Is It So Dangerous?  |url=https://weather.com/science/weather-explainers/news/black-ice-winter-weather-explainer |publisher=[[The Weather Channel]] |language=en |access-date=11 April 2024 }}</ref>

Whenever there is freezing rain or snow which occurs at a temperature near the melting point, it is common for ice to build up on the [[window]]s of vehicles. Often, snow melts, re-freezes, and forms a fragmented layer of ice which effectively "glues" snow to the window. In this case, the frozen mass is commonly removed with [[ice scraper]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dhyani |first1=Abhishek |last2=Choi |first2=Wonjae |last3=Golovin |first3=Kevin |last4=Tuteja |first4=Anish |date=4 May 2022 |title=Surface design strategies for mitigating ice and snow accretion |journal=Matter |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=1423–1454 |doi=10.1016/j.matt.2022.04.012 }}</ref> A thin layer of ice crystals can also form on the inside surface of car windows during sufficiently cold weather. In the 1970s and 1980s, some vehicles such as [[Ford Thunderbird]] could be upgraded with heated windshields as the result. This technology fell out of style as it was too expensive and prone to damage, but rear-window [[defroster]]s are cheaper to maintain and so are more widespread.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A brief history of the heated windshield |last=Braithwaite-Smith |first=Gavin |date=14 December 2022 |url=https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/a-brief-history-of-the-heated-windshield/ |publisher=Hagerty |language=en |access-date=11 April 2024 }}</ref>

[[File:CaminoDeLaVidaLeningrado.ogv|thumb|right|1943 [[American propaganda during World War II|US propaganda]] film explaining how the ice of Lake Ladoga became the Road of Life during [[WWII]]]]

In sufficiently cold places, the layers of ice on water surfaces can get thick enough for [[ice road]]s to be built. Some regulations specify that the minimum safe thickness is {{cvt|4|in|cm|frac=2}} for a person, {{cvt|7|in|cm|frac=2}} for a [[snowmobile]] and {{cvt|15|in|cm|frac=2}} for an [[automobile]] lighter than 5 tonnes. For [[truck]]s, effective thickness varies with load - i.e. a vehicle with 9-ton total weight requires a thickness of {{cvt|20|in|cm|frac=2}}. Notably, the speed limit for a vehicle moving at a road which meets its minimum safe thickness is 25&nbsp;km/h (15&nbsp;mph), going up to 35&nbsp;km/h (25&nbsp;mph) if the road's thickness is 2 or more times larger than the minimum safe value.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Daly |first1=Steven |last2=Connor |first2=Billy |last3=Garron |first3=Jessica |last4=Stuefer |first4=Svetlana |last5=Belz |first5=Nathan |last6=Bjella |first6=Kevin |date=1 February 2023 |title=Design and Operation of Ice Roads |url=https://aidc.uaf.edu/media/1580/ice-road-manual_final.pdf |publisher=[[University of Alaska Fairbanks]] |access-date=11 April 2024 }}</ref> There is a known instance where a railroad has been built on ice.<ref name="Makkonen, L. 1994"/>

The most famous ice road had been the [[Road of Life]] across [[Lake Ladoga]]. It operated in the winters of 1941–1942 and 1942–1943, when it was the only land route available to the [[Soviet Union]] to relieve the [[Siege of Leningrad]] by the German [[Army Group North]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Glantz |first=David M. |author-link=David Glantz |date=2001 |title=The Siege of Leningrad, 1941–1944: 900 Days of Terror |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efZmAAAAMAAJ |location=Staplehurst |publisher=Spellmount |isbn=1-86227-124-0}}</ref> {{rp|76–80}} The trucks moved hundreds of thousands tonnes of supplies into the city, and hundreds of thousands of civilians were evacuated.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bidlack |first1=Richard |last2=Lomagin |first2=Nikita |title=The Leningrad Blockade, 1941–1944: A New Documentary History from the Soviet Archives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-g2b__W4cQAC&pg=PA406 |date=2012 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn= 978-0-300-11029-6}}</ref> It is now a [[Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments|World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/540/multiple=1&unique_number=635 |title=Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments |work=Unesco World Heritage Centre }}</ref>

===Water-borne travel===
[[File:Frozen Lake Huron- icebreakers and commercial vessels.jpg|thumb|Channel through ice for ship traffic on [[Lake Huron]] with [[ice breaker]]s in background]]
For ships, ice presents two distinct hazards. Firstly, spray and freezing rain can produce an ice build-up on the superstructure of a vessel sufficient to make it unstable, potentially to the point of [[capsizing]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mintu |first1=Shafiul |last2=Molyneux |first2=David |date=15 August 2022 |title=Ice accretion for ships and offshore structures. Part 1 - State of the art review |journal=Ocean Engineering |volume=258 |doi=10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.111501 |bibcode=2022OcEng.25811501M }}</ref> Earlier, crewmembers were regularly forced to manually hack off ice build-up. After 1980s, spraying de-icing chemicals or melting the ice through hot water/steam hoses became more common.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rashid |first1=Taimur |last2=Khawaja |first2=Hassan Abbas |last3=Edvardsen |first3=Kåre |date=17 August 2016 |title=Review of marine icing and anti-/de-icing systems |journal=Ocean Engineering |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=79–87 |doi=10.1080/20464177.2016.1216734 |bibcode=2016JMEnT..15...79R }}</ref> Secondly, [[iceberg]]s&nbsp;– large masses of ice floating in water (typically created when glaciers reach the sea)&nbsp;– can be dangerous if struck by a ship when underway. Icebergs have been responsible for the sinking of many ships, the most famous being the [[RMS Titanic|''Titanic'']].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Halpern |first1=Samuel |last2=Weeks |first2=Charles |year=2011 |title=Report into the Loss of the SS ''Titanic'': A Centennial Reappraisal | editor-last = Halpern | editor-first = Samuel | publisher = The History Press | location = Stroud, UK | isbn = 978-0-7524-6210-3 }}</ref>

For [[harbor]]s near the [[geographical pole|pole]]s, being ice-free, ideally all year long, is an important advantage. Examples are [[Murmansk]] (Russia), [[Pechengsky District|Petsamo]] (Russia, formerly Finland), and [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] (Norway). Harbors which are not ice-free are opened up using specialized vessels, called icebreakers.<ref name="Sahari2021">{{cite journal |last1=Sahari |first1=Aaro |last2=Matala |first2=Saara |date=9 December 2021 |title=Of a titan, winds and power: Transnational development of the icebreaker, 1890-1954 |journal=International Journal of Maritime History |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=722–747 |doi=10.1177/08438714211062493 }}</ref> Icebreakers are also used to open routes through the sea ice for other vessels, as the only alternative is to find the openings called "[[polynya]]s" or "[[Lead (sea ice)|leads]]". A widespread production of icebreakers began during the 19th century. Earlier designs simply had reinforced [[Bow (watercraft)|bows]] in a spoon-like or diagonal shape to effectively crush the ice. Later designs attached a forward [[propeller]] underneath the protruding bow, as the typical rear propellers were incapable of effectively steering the ship through the ice <ref name="Sahari2021" />

===Air travel===
{{Further|Icing conditions|Carburetor icing}}
[[File:Some Ice on the boots (1527659244).jpg|thumb|right|Rime ice on the leading edge of an aircraft wing. When the build-up is too large, the black [[deicing boot]] inflates to shake it off <ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XygDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1931+plane&pg=PA28 |title = Overshoes For Planes End Ice Danger |date = November 1931 |magazine = Popular Science |page = 28 |via = Google Books }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first = William M. |last = Leary |title = We Freeze to Please: A History of NASA's Icing Research Tunnel and the Quest for Flight Safety |date = 2002 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |page = 10 |oclc = 49558649 }}</ref>]]
For aircraft, ice can cause a number of dangers. As an aircraft climbs, it passes through air layers of different temperature and humidity, some of which may be conducive to ice formation. If ice forms on the wings or control surfaces, this may adversely affect the flying qualities of the aircraft. In 1919, during the [[Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown|first non-stop flight across the Atlantic]], the British aviators Captain [[John Alcock (RAF officer)|John Alcock]] and Lieutenant [[Arthur Whitten Brown]] encountered such icing conditions&nbsp;– Brown left the cockpit and climbed onto the wing several times to remove ice which was covering the engine air intakes of the [[Vickers Vimy]] aircraft they were flying.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 July 2014 |title=Capt. John Alcock and Lt. Arthur Whitten Brown |url=http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/alcock.htm |publisher=The Aviation History On-Line Museum }}</ref>

One vulnerability effected by icing that is associated with reciprocating internal combustion engines is the [[carburetor]]. As air is sucked through the carburetor into the engine, the local air pressure is lowered, which causes [[adiabatic]] cooling. Thus, in humid near-freezing conditions, the carburetor will be colder, and tend to ice up. This will block the supply of air to the engine, and cause it to fail. Between 1969 and 1975, 468 such instances were recorded, causing 75 aircraft losses, 44 fatalities and 202 serious injuries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Newman |first1=Richard L. |year=1981 |title=Carburetor Ice Flight Testing: Use of an Anti-Icing Fuel Additive |journal=Journal of Aircraft |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=5–6 |doi=10.2514/3.57458 }}</ref> Thus, [[Carburetor heat|carburetor air intake heaters]] were developed. Further, reciprocating engines with [[fuel injection]] do not require carburetors in the first place.<ref>{{cite book
| title=Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA-H-8083-25B |date=2016 |publisher=US Dept. of Transportation, FAA |pages=7–10 |url=https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/09_phak_ch7.pdf |chapter=Chapter 7: Aircraft Systems |archive-date=2022-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206115041/https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/09_phak_ch7.pdf |quote=Carburetor heat is an anti-icing system that preheats the air before it reaches the carburetor and is intended to keep the fuel-air mixture above freezing to prevent the formation of carburetor ice. |access-date=2023-02-26}}</ref>

Jet engines do not experience carb icing, but they can be affected by the moisture inherently present in [[jet fuel]] freezing and forming ice crystals, which can potentially clog up fuel intake to the engine. Fuel heaters and/or de-icing additives are used to address the issue.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schmitz |first1=Mathias |last2=Schmitz |first2=Gerhard |date=15 August 2022 |title=Experimental study on the accretion and release of ice in aviation jet fuel |journal=Aerospace Science and Technology |volume=83 |pages=294–303 |doi=10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.111501 |bibcode=2022OcEng.25811501M }}</ref>

===Recreation and sports===
{{Main|Ice sports}}
[[File:SCENEONICE.jpg|thumb|''Skating fun'' by 17th century Dutch painter [[Hendrick Avercamp]]]]

Ice plays a central role in winter recreation and in many sports such as [[ice skating]], [[tour skating]], [[ice hockey]], [[bandy]], [[ice fishing]], [[ice climbing]], [[curling]], [[broomball]] and sled racing on [[bobsled]], [[luge]] and [[Skeleton (sport)|skeleton]]. Many of the different sports played on ice get international attention every four years during the [[Winter Olympic Games]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dichter |first1=Heather L. |last2=Teetzel |first2=Sarah |date=23 March 2021 |title=The Winter Olympics: A Century of Games on Ice and Snow |journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport |volume=37 |issue=13 |pages=1215–1235 |doi=10.1080/09523367.2020.1866474  }}</ref>

Small boat-like craft can be mounted on blades and be driven across the ice by [[sails]]. This sport is known as [[ice yachting]], and it had been practiced for centuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hvmag.com/things-to-do/explore-the-history-of-ice-yachting-in-the-hudson-valley/|title=Explore the History of Ice Yachting in the Hudson Valley|last=Levine|first=David|website=www.hvmag.com|date=19 November 2013 |language=en|access-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ice.idniyra.org/|title=IDNIYRA {{!}} International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association|date=December 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121944/https://ice.idniyra.org/|access-date=April 15, 2020|archive-date=December 27, 2017}}</ref> Another vehicular sport is [[ice racing]], where drivers must speed on lake ice, while also controlling the skid of their vehicle (similar in some ways to [[dirt track racing]]). The sport has even been modified for [[ice rink]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0407_ice_racing/index.html|title=Racing Fast 'n' Cheap: Ice Racing |last=Markus |first=Frank |publisher=[[Motor Trend]] |access-date=2008-09-30 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604072725/http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0407_ice_racing/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Other uses===
[[File:Ice_sculptor_at_work_(12714055883).jpg|thumb|Carving an ice sculpture]]
==== As thermal ballast ====
* Ice is still used to cool and preserve food in portable [[cooler]]s.<ref name="Prewitt2023">{{Cite web |last1=Prewitt |first1=Laura |date=23 July 2023 |title=A Chilling History |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/collections/blog/a-chilling-history/ |publisher=[[Science History Institute]] |language=en |access-date=26 April 2024 }}</ref>
*[[Ice cube]]s or [[crushed ice]] can be used to cool drinks. As the ice melts, it absorbs heat and keeps the drink near {{convert|0|C}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bramen |first1=Lisa |date=12 August 2011 |title=Why Don't Other Countries Use Ice Cubes? |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-dont-other-countries-use-ice-cubes-50361097/ |access-date=26 April 2024 |publisher=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |language=en}}</ref>
* Ice can be used as part of an [[Ice storage air conditioning|air conditioning system]], using battery- or [[solar power|solar-powered]] fans to blow hot air over the ice. This is especially useful during [[heat wave]]s when power is out and standard (electrically powered) air conditioners do not work.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 May 2017 |title=California utility augments 1,800 air conditioning units with "ice battery" |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/05/ice-batteries-commissioned-by-utility-will-cool-california-businesses/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] }}</ref>
* Ice can be used (like other [[cold pack]]s) to reduce swelling (by decreasing blood flow) and pain by pressing it against an area of the body.<ref>{{cite book | title=The U.S. Navy Seal Guide to Fitness and Nutrition | first1=Patricia A. | last1=Deuster | first2=Anita | last2=Singh | first3=Pierre A. | last3=Pelletier | publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc. | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-60239-030-0 | page=117 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3P038jE18BwC&pg=PT117 }}</ref>

==== As structural material ====
[[File:USNS Southern Cross at the ice pier in 1983.jpg|thumb|Ice pier during 1983 cargo operations. [[McMurdo Station]], Antarctica.]]
* Engineers used the substantial strength of pack ice when they constructed Antarctica's first floating [[ice pier]] in 1973.<ref>[http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/pastIssues/2005-2006/2006_01_08.pdf#page=3 "Unique ice pier provides harbor for ships"], {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110223145229/http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/pastIssues/2005-2006/2006_01_08.pdf |date=23 February 2011 }} Antarctic Sun. 8 January 2006; McMurdo Station, Antarctica.</ref> Such ice piers are used during cargo operations to load and offload ships. Fleet operations personnel make the floating pier during the winter. They build upon naturally occurring frozen seawater in [[McMurdo Sound]] until the dock reaches a depth of about {{convert|22|ft|m}}. Ice piers are inherently temporary structures, although some can last as long as 10 years. Once a pier is no longer usable, it is towed to sea with an icebreaker.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 February 2023 |title=Ocean Disposal of Man-Made Ice Piers |url=https://www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/ocean-disposal-man-made-ice-piers |publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701024353/https://www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/ocean-disposal-man-made-ice-piers |archive-date=1 July 2023 }}</ref>
[[File:Castello di neve in lapponia 02 (2108559776).jpg|thumb|An ice-made dining room of the [[Kemi]]'s [[SnowCastle of Kemi|SnowCastle]] [[ice hotel]] in [[Finland]]]]
* Structures and [[ice sculpture]]s are built out of large chunks of ice or by spraying water<ref name="Makkonen, L. 1994">Makkonen, L. (1994) "Ice and Construction". E & FN Spon, London. {{ISBN|0-203-62726-1}}.</ref> The structures are mostly ornamental (as in the case with [[Ice palace|ice castle]]s), and not practical for long-term habitation. [[Ice hotel]]s exist on a seasonal basis in a few cold areas.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Harriet |date=19 January 2007 |title=Ice Hotels: Cold comforts |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/ice-hotels-cold-comforts-432813.html |access-date=26 May 2024 }}</ref> [[Igloo]]s are another example of a temporary structure, made primarily from snow.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cruickshank |first=Dan |date=2 April 2008 |title=What house-builders can learn from igloos |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7326031.stm |access-date=26 May 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311170506/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7326031.stm |archive-date=11 March 2009 }}</ref> 
* Engineers can also use ice to destroy. In [[mining]], drilling holes in rock structures and then pouring water during cold weather is an accepted alternative to using [[dynamite]], as the rock cracks when the water expands as ice.<ref name="Akyurt2002" />
* During World War II, [[Project Habbakuk]] was an Allied programme which investigated the use of [[pykrete]] (wood fibers mixed with ice) as a possible material for warships, especially aircraft carriers, due to the ease with which a vessel immune to torpedoes, and a large deck, could be constructed by ice. A small-scale prototype was built,<ref>Gold, L.W. (1993). "The Canadian Habbakuk Project: a Project of the National Research Council of Canada". International Glaciological Society. {{ISBN|0946417164}}.</ref> but it soon turned out the project would cost far more than a conventional aircraft carrier while being many times slower and also vulnerable to melting.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.goodeveca.net/CFGoodeve/habakkuk.html |title=The Ice Ship Fiasco |author=Sir Charles Goodeve |journal=Evening Standard |location=London |date=19 April 1951 }}</ref> 
* Ice has even been used as the material for a variety of musical instruments, for example by percussionist [[Terje Isungset]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cj63 | title=Terje Isungset Iceman Is Review | publisher=BBC Music | author=Talkington, Fiona | date=3 May 2005 | access-date=24 May 2011 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924045635/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cj63 | archive-date=24 September 2013 }}</ref>