Virtual porous materials to predict the air void topology and hydraulic conductivity of asphalt roads

Aboufoul, M.; Chiarelli, A.; Triguero, I.; Garcia, A.

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of air void topology on hydraulic conductivity in asphalt mixtures with porosity in the range 14%–31%. Virtual asphalt pore networks were generated using the Intersected Stacked Air voids (ISA) method, with its parameters being automatically adjusted by the means of a differential evolution optimisation algorithm, and then 3D printed using transparent resin. Permeability tests were conducted on the resin samples to understand the effects of pore topology on hydraulic conductivity. Moreover, the pore networks generated virtually were compared to real asphalt pore networks captured via X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scans. The optimised ISA method was able to generate realistic 3D pore networks corresponding to those seen in asphalt mixtures in term of visual, topological, statistical and air void shape properties. It was found that, in the range of porous asphalt materials investigated in this research, the high dispersion in hydraulic conductivity at constant air void content is a function of the average air void diameter. Finally, the relationship between average void diameter and the maximum aggregate size and gradation in porous asphalt materials was investigated.

Citation

Aboufoul, M., Chiarelli, A., Triguero, I., & Garcia, A. (2019). Virtual porous materials to predict the air void topology and hydraulic conductivity of asphalt roads. Powder Technology, 352, 294-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2019.04.072

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 26, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Apr 29, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 30, 2020
• Journal: Powder Technology
• Print ISSN: 0032-5910
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-328X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 352
• Pages: 294-304
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2019.04.072
• Keywords: General Chemical Engineering
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2038408
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032591019303201
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Virtual porous materials to predict the air void topology and hydraulic conductivity of asphalt roads; Journal Title: Powder Technology; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2019.04.072; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.