Well, this pad is very well built and pleasant to play. You can use it for chop building, but I think it was designed/intended for practicing snare solos.
The plastic rim serves its purpose very well. Although I purchased this pad a few month ago, I do think that it can withstand heavy rimshots for a long time. The green surface is quite sturdy and gives a little bit more rebound than a normal medium or high tuned snare. But it is definitely not too bouncy. The other side is made of recycled material. It's is very close to a normal snare IMO, so less bouncy than the green surface. Overall a very pleasant pad. If you need to take pad with you, choose the 8 inch version.