TEMPORAL SOFTENING AND ITS EFFECT UPON STRENGTH

Temporal softening that is associated with the passage of a shock wave is investigated along with its effect upon material strength and issues of macroscopic scaling. Specimens are loaded in such a way that a moderate tensile pulse is applied during the temporal window of softening. It is found that strength is reduced as a consequence of temporal softening. It appears that temporal softening contributes to a reversal of typically observed macroscopic scaling effects.