Ship owners, including navies, are increasingly sailing ice-infested waters and hence need to know the safety of ship hulls regarding collision with ice. Considerable knowledge exists for modelling failure of the hull in impact situations; however, these methods are either insufficiently precise or too expensive for engineering practice. A method is discussed where the material is characterized to utilize the full energy absorbing capacity until rupture with limited parameters and associated testing. The underlying theory is provided, and the required material tests are described. After calibration of the material and failure models, the application on a large-scale raking test is demonstrated.