Investigation of wear resistance performance for asphalt pavement coarse aggregates based on morphological characteristics and mineral composition

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-12-2025

Department

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Abstract

This study investigates the wear resistance mechanism of coarse aggregates in asphalt pavements from a fine-scale perspective, focusing on their morphological characteristics and mechanical properties. Firstly, the Los Angeles abrasion test was conducted to assess the microstructural wear of the aggregates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ImageJ software were used to analyze the morphological evolution of the aggregates at different abrasion stages. Subsequently, micromechanical parameters of aggregate mineral grains were calculated via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nanoindentation testing at the microscale. Considering that the mechanical properties of individual mineral components do not fully reflect the macroscopic behavior of the coarse aggregates, the nano-hardness of the aggregates was scaled up using a modified equivalent Mohs hardness (HM) formula. Based on this, a cross-scale study of the elastic modulus was conducted using homogenization theory. Finally, a predictive model for the Los Angeles abrasion loss rate of coarse aggregates was developed, incorporating both morphological characteristics and mechanical properties. The results indicate that the fractal dimension is an effective indicator of morphological changes in coarse aggregates at different stages of abrasion. Moreover, a smaller change in fractal dimension correlates with a lower abrasion loss rate. Additionally, both the hardness and modulus of the coarse aggregates significantly influence their wear resistance. The ratio of the abrasion loss rate to the fractal dimension change (kD) showed a strong negative correlation with both hardness and modulus, suggesting that the prediction of abrasion loss rate based on fractal dimension and mechanical properties is highly reliable.

Publication Title

Construction and Building Materials

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