A Novel Methodology to Generate and Analyze Virtual Microstructures of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures
Computational microstructure models have been recently regarded as a promising approach to model the complex behavior of asphalt concrete mixtures. One of the main steps required by such models is the generation of representative microstructures that can closely reproduce the complex geometric and volumetric characteristics of the mixtures. This paper presents the development and verification of an in-house microstructure generator that can be used to fabricate virtual, two-dimensional microstructures of asphalt mixtures. The proposed methodology takes advantage of a modern image analysis system, i.e., AIMS 2, to obtain geometric characteristics of real aggregate particles. During the generation process, images of real aggregates are stored in a database and further positioned in the virtual microstructures in a way that the gradation, area fraction, and orientation of the virtual aggregate skeleton closely reproduce properties of real asphalt concrete samples fabricated in the laboratory. To demonstrate the capabilities of the generator, a microstructural analysis procedure is first proposed and verified. Then, using the verified analysis methodology, microstructural characteristics of virtual samples are determined and compared to those of real specimens. The results obtained indicate good correlations between the calculated and the real mixture characteristics, and infer that the proposed methodology can be used as an efficient tool to fabricate and analyze virtual microstructures of asphalt concrete mixtures. That in turn becomes an essential step for the improvement of the computational microstructural model under development by the authors that aims to accurately predict the mechanical behavior of asphalt mixtures from known constituent properties and geometric characteristics and to provide significant savings in the time and cost required by laboratory testing of actual specimens.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFK50 Characteristics of Asphalt Paving Mixtures to Meet Structural Requirements.
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Aragao, Francisco Thiago Sacramento
- Hartmann, Diego Arthur
- Pazos, Abraham Ricardo Guerrero
- Kim, Yong-Rak
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
- Date: 2015
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 17p
- Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Asphalt concrete; Asphalt mixtures; Image analysis; Microstructure; Virtual reality
- Uncontrolled Terms: Computational models; Two dimensional analysis
- Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Pavements; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01550349
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 15-2776
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Jan 21 2015 11:29AM