A split Hopkinson pressure bar for experimental investigation of dynamic pulverization under very high strain rates.

Off-fault damage or pulverized rocks found in large-scale strike-slip faults are of great interest in earthquake research. In order to experimentally investigate rock pulverization, we developed a split Hopkinson pressure bar with compact dimensions and high-speed imaging. The developed experimental setup is capable of generating very high strain rates up to 1320 s-1 with the satisfaction of stress equilibrium, which are essential to reproduce the dynamic pulverization observed in nature and obtain dynamic stress-strain responses accurately.