Constitutive model calibration of high-strength steel in tensile mode using a compression-to-tension stress-converting specimen structure in split Hopkinson pressure bar tests

A specimen designed to convert compressive stress into tensile stress during the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test is employed for the inverse calibration of a constitutive model for steel with a flow stress exceeding approximately 1,600 MPa. This calibration is accomplished by tracking the bar signals through repeated simulations. The maximum strain rate, strain, and temperature were approximately 6,500 s⁻¹, 0.53, and 550 K, respectively. These values significantly surpassed those obtained from a standard SHPB test, as predicted by an Excel template referenced elsewhere. The advantages of the proposed calibration method are discussed in comparison to the conventional approach.