Strength enhancement in particulate solids under high loading rates

The so‐called ‘strain‐rate effect’ in any material has been investigated here from a structural dynamics point of view. Starting with lumped‐mass models (SDOF and 2‐DOF) and assuming a rate‐independent failure criterion, it is shown here how a high loading rate produces an effect of strength enhancement in any massive elastic material and how failure takes place in a stronger component of a system as the loading rate increases. Extrapolating the concept of an equivalent elastic modulus as introduced in lumped‐mass models and extending the analysis to a semi‐infinite elastic continuum, an algorithm has been schematized to evaluate an overall equivalent elastic modulus of a concrete body under the influence of high loading rate treating the concrete as a two‐component solid mixture consisting of cement paste matrix and aggregates.