High strain rate response of Himalayan quartzitic gneiss by using split Hopkinson pressure bar device Available to Purchase

Mountainous rocks have been beneficial in developing the pathway for water flow in hydropower projects which aids in attainment of renewable source of energy. With the increase in the development of hydropower projects in mountains, the concern towards its design optimality increases to various hazards e.g. earthquake, bomb blast or missile attacks. Rocks when subjected to dynamic loading experiences a very high strain rate of 10²-10⁴/sec. Therefore, it is required to study the response of rock under high strain rate loading. In the present work, the dynamic stress-strain response of a metamorphic rock, Quartzitic Gneiss having its origin from Himalayas is studied by using Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) device. The physical, petrological and static properties of the quartzitic gneiss are also studied. The increase of peak stress and elastic modulus with respect to increased strain rate is observed to study the dynamic behavior of the rock. The dynamic increase in strength of the rock with respect to the static strength of the rock is observed for different strain rates and a correlation for dynamic increase factor with respect to strain rate is given herein.