Understanding the mechanical behavior of rock materials under dynamic loading conditions is essential for addressing challenges associated with underground excavations, rockbursts, and protective structure design. This comprehensive review explores the development and current advancements in dynamic testing techniques, fracture behavior, mechanical properties, testing techniques, and rock support systems for dynamic loading. It provides a historical perspective on rock dynamics, highlighting its significance in geo mechanical research. This review summarizes dynamic testing methods, including loading and monitoring techniques. Dynamic loading techniques include Servo-Hydraulic Machine, Drop Hopkinson Bar, Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar, and Dynamic shear testing device. Advanced monitoring techniques for studying crack propagation under dynamic loads, including X-ray computed tomography, digital image correlation, crack propagation gages, and acoustic emission approaches, are comprehensively discussed. This review also delves into dynamic fracture properties, such as time to fracture initiation, crack propagation velocity, and tensile failure mechanics. In mechanical properties, estimating stress–strain curves at high strain rates, followed by an in-depth analysis of various dynamic mechanical properties, including uniaxial and tri axial compressive strength, tensile strength, shear strength, Young’s modulus, brittleness index, dynamic tensile fracture toughness, energy dissipation and damage evolution. Additionally, this review examines rock support systems designed to contain surface rock and prevent disintegration during dynamic loading conditions. It concludes with a summary and highlights prospective research directions in rock dynamics and underground engineering.
