A method of tensile testing of materials in dynamic conditions based on a slightly modified compressive split Hopkinson bar system using a shoulder is described in this paper. The main goal was to solve, with the use of numerical modelling, the problem of wave disturbance resulting from application of a shoulder, as well as the problem of selecting a specimen geometry that enables to study the phenomenon of high strain-rate failure in tension. It is shown that, in order to prevent any interference of disturbance with the required strain signals at a given recording moment, the positions of the strain gages on the bars have to be correctly chosen for a given experimental setup. Besides, it is demonstrated that - on the basis of simplified numerical analysis - an appropriate gage length and diameter of a material specimen for failure testing in tension can be estimated.

In order to study the dynamic mechanical properties of cement soil, uniaxial impact compression tests with different strain rates of cement soil with no fiber and with 0.2% basalt fiber were carried out by using a 50 mm steel split Hopkinson pressure bar device. The test results show that the impact compressive strength, dynamic increase factor and peak strain increase with the increase of strain rate under the same basalt fiber content, showing obvious strain rate effect. The dynamic stress-strain curve of basalt fiber cement soil underwent elastic deformation stage, plastic deformation stage and failure stage.With the increase of strain rate, the degree of fracture of cement soil samples gradually increases, which shows that the number of fragments increases, the size decreases and tends to be uniform. After adding basalt fiber in cement soil, the crack can be delayed, the degree of fracture is smaller than that without fiber and the plasticity of the samples is enhanced. It shows that basalt fiber can improve the impact compressive strength of cement soil.