Investigating the Functions of Particles in Packed Aggregate Blend using a Discrete Element Method

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Aggregates constitute up to 90% of asphalt mixtures, critically influencing mechanical properties.
• Aggregate gradation and particle function are key to the skeleton structure performance.
• Current asphalt mixture design methods are largely empirical and do not fully address mixture complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the aggregate skeleton structure and particle function in asphalt mixtures.
• To analyze the meso-structural behavior of aggregate interactions.
• To leverage numerical simulations for a deeper understanding of asphalt mixture composition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Discrete Element Method (DEM) for numerical simulations.
• Employed Particle Flow 3D (PFC3D) software for the analysis.
• Examined average contact numbers and interaction forces between aggregate particles of varying sizes.

Main Results:

• Quantified average contact numbers and interaction forces based on aggregate particle size.
• Provided insights into the meso-structural mechanics of aggregate interactions.
• Demonstrated the influence of aggregate characteristics on the overall skeleton structure.

Conclusions:

• The Discrete Element Method offers a powerful tool for analyzing asphalt mixture behavior.
• Understanding meso-structural aggregate interactions is crucial for advanced asphalt mixture design.
• This research provides a foundation for more sophisticated, mechanics-based asphalt mixture design approaches.