Review of Visualization Technique and Its Application of Road Aggregates Based on Morphological Features

The sustainable performance of asphalt pavement depends on the quality and mix design of road aggregates. Identifying aggregate morphology and size is a prerequisite step for material design and numerical modeling of asphalt mixtures. The paper aims to review the morphometric measurement, characteristic parameters and visualization technique of road aggregates. Types, calculation methods and advantages of aggregate morphological characteristics are highlighted. The applications of aggregate morphological features on the volumetric design, compaction processes, mechanical properties and size effect of asphalt mixtures are summarized. Although digital image processing technology has been studied for years, aggregates in the complex accumulation are still difficult to measure accurately. In the current research, the morphological parameters of aggregates remain diverse without a standard protocol. Compared to theoretical models, numerical models have more difficulties establishing irregular morphology features in the simulated specimens but provide a volume parameter closer to the real value. The future investigation of road performance under dynamic loading should account for the microscopic evolution of shape, orientation and distribution of aggregates over time.