Comparative investigation reveals improved impact resistance in rubberized concrete with hybrid fibers, suggesting better protective materials.
To enhance the damage resistance of protective engineering materials under extreme loads such as explosions and impacts, this study, building upon the improvement in impact resistance of concrete achieved by rubber modification, further incorporates steel fibers and glass fibers to synergistically enhance impact resistance and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) testing, a comparative investigation was conducted on the dynamic mechanical responses of four specimen groups, namely plain rubberized concrete, single steel fiber-reinforced, single glass fiber-reinforced, and hybrid steel–glass fiber-reinforced rubberized concrete, over a strain-rate range of 30–185 s−1. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of hybrid fibers significantly enhances the dynamic compressive performance of plain rubber concrete. Specifically, the dynamic compressive strength increases from 40.73–61.29 MPa to 60.25–101.86 MPa, accompanied by a 59.5% increase in strain-rate sensitivity. Meanwhile, the fragment fineness modulus after failure rises from 3.20–3.33 to 3.73–4.20, indicating improved post-impact integrity. In addition, the hybrid fiber-reinforced specimens exhibit the highest energy dissipation capacity at identical strain rates. Their dynamic stress–strain responses are characterized by higher stiffness, improved ductility, and more pronounced progressive failure behavior. These findings provide experimental evidence for the design of high-impact-resistant protective engineering materials.
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Wen et al. (2026) studied this question.
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