Investigating the role of aggregate structure in asphalt pavements

摘要

An approach is presented in which the aggregate structure is taken into account to predict the mechanical response of unbound aggregates and asphalt concrete pavements. This approach could potentially permit scientific analysis of the various aggregate specifications and requirements in the asphalt industry. It has been demonstrated that asphalt concrete behaves as a granular material. The stress patterns within the material differs from the assumptions typically made in continuum models. It has been further shown that modeling the mechanical response of unbound aggregates using discrete element methods could take aggregate structure into consideration. The predictions of such an approach show that different gradations of the aggregate produce different load distributions in the pavements due to differences in aggregate structures.