Abstract: The present study focuses on the effectiveness of steel-sand composite stiffened plates under impulsive loading. Dynamic response of steel-sand composite stiffened plates, with various stiffener layouts under impulsive loading is analysed using commercially available finite element software Abaqus/Explicit. The steel plates and stiffeners are modelled using shell elements and the effect of strain rates is incorporated through Johnson-Cook (J-C) material model. Sand is modelled as a continuum between the two steel plates. Sand response is simulated using the built-in Drucker-Prager plasticity model in Abaqus considering the strain rate effect. The contact planes between sand and the steel plates are modelled using the general contact formulation in Abaqus. Impulsive load is applied in the form of a rectangular uniform pressure pulse. The effect of different thicknesses of the sand layer in response mitigation has been investigated. The steel-sand composite stiffened plates exhibit lesser central point displacement under impulsive loading as compared to when no stiffeners are provided.