Laboratory Investigation of Packing Characteristics and Mechanical Performance of Aggregate Blend

Aggregates are the main material forming the skeleton structure of asphalt mixtures and are of great importance to resist external load for asphalt pavement. This study analyzed the packing characteristics and mechanical performance of aggregate blend to provide a reference for improving the bearing capacity of asphalt mixtures. The single-size, two-size, and multi-size aggregate blends were chosen to conduct the laboratory packing and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests. Six particle sizes were selected to design the single-size aggregate blends. Six size combinations were included and various mass ratios were considered for each size combination in the two-size aggregate blends. The multi-size aggregate blends were designed through the gradually filling method according to stone matrix asphalt with a nominal maximum particle size (NMPS) of 16 mm (SMA16) and dense asphalt concrete with an NMPS of 26.5 mm (AC25). The packing characteristics of the blends were quantified by the air voids and the percentage of contribution to the packing volume (PCPV). The mechanical performance of the blends was analyzed by the CBR value. The relationship between packing characteristics and mechanical performance was explored by data fitting. The results showed that the particle size and the size ratio have an effect on the packing characteristics and mechanical performance of aggregate blend. The smaller the particle size, the larger the air void of the blend. The blends composed of larger particles have better load bearing capacity than those composed of smaller particles. The larger the particle size ratio, the greater the air void of the blend and the weaker the load bearing capacity. The particles smaller than 1.18 mm and those smaller than 0.3 mm in AC25 mainly play a role in filling the voids and have little contribution to the load bearing. There is a certain correlation between the packing characteristics and mechanical performance of aggregate blend.