Discrete Element Method (DEM) Analyses of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) Mixtures Compaction and Internal Structure

Abstract:

Asphalt mixture compaction is an important procedure of asphalt mixture construction and can significantly affect the performance of asphalt pavement. In this paper, an open source DEM code was applied to simulate the compaction of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) with the Superpave gyratory compactor. The asphalt mixture compaction process, air voids distribution, internal coarse aggregate structure, and the effect of CA ratio were investigated from a microscopic point of view. The analysis results show that DEM simulation is an economical and effective approach to the research of asphalt mixture compaction, and has tremendous potential for asphalt mixture design.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 639-640)
• Pages: 1287-1294
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.639-640.1287
• Online since: January 2013
• Authors: Jing Song Chen, Lei Zeng, Jian Yin
• Keywords: Air Voids Distribution, Coarse Aggregate Skeleton Structure, Discrete Element Method (DEM), Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA), Open Source Code

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