The dynamic characterization of materials under intermediate and high strain rates is fundamental to understand the material behaviour in case of dynamic loadings. In this study dynamic tests of rocks in compression and splitting by the Kolsky method and its modification were analysed. The time dependence of the critical stress can predict by the incubation time of fracture criterion and these dependencies turned out to be in good agreement with experiments. Copyright (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.