Abstract: To determine the interaction between the ice ridges and the ocean structures, a discrete element method (DEM) is used to model the ice ridge based on the bonded spherical elements in this paper. The keel and the sail of the ice ridge are constructed with various sized spherical elements via a random packing. A series of punches through tests on the keel are simulated with the proposed DEM. The reliability of the model is verified by comparing the calculated results with the measured field data. The influences of the elastic modulus, the bonding strength and the internal friction coefficient of the elements on the shear strength and the fracture mechanism of the keel are analysed. Finally, the interaction between the ice ridge and a cylindrical vertical structure is simulated with the calibrated discrete element parameters. The ice load compares well with the ISO 19906 formula. This presented DEM can be applied to determine the ice load on offshore structures.