Determination of mechanical properties of rocks at high pressure and strain rate with a split Hopkinson bar

In order to make calculations for large masses of rocks subjected to a stress wave loading such as the cases of nuclear or conventional blasting, the stress-strain properties of the materials under this type of loading must be known. Since the properties of rock vary greatly with confining pressure and rate of loading, this research was undertaken to measure the material properties of rocks under a high-confining pressure which were loaded by stress waves.