A Split-Hopkinson Tension Bar study on the dynamic strength of basalt-fibre composites

This paper investigates the strain rate sensitivity of laminated composites made of plies of unidirectional basalt fibres and epoxy resin. We consider laminates with quasi-isotropic [0∘,−45∘,+45∘,90∘]s and orthogonal [+45∘,−45∘]4 layup. A Split-Hopkinson Tension Bar is used to generate accurate stress/strain data at elevated rates of strain of ≈3 × 102/s. Moderate strain rate effects are observed with strength increase of ≈3.5% per decade of increased loading rate for both laminate types.