From the beginning of asphalt mixture design it was desired to understand the interaction of aggregates, asphalt, and the voids created during their compaction. In asphalt mixture design, guidance is lacking in the selection of the design aggregate structure and understanding the interaction of that aggregate structure and mixture volumetric properties. Asphalt mixture design concepts are presented that use aggregate interlock and aggregate packing to develop an aggregate blend that meets volumetric criteria and provides adequate compaction characteristics. The concepts rely on coarse aggregate for the skeleton of the mixture with the proper amount of fine aggregate to provide a properly packed aggregate structure. The objective is to use aggregate packing concepts to analyze the combined gradation and relate the packing characteristics to the mixture volumetric properties and compaction characteristics. The new concepts presented for asphalt mixture design and analysis include an examination of aggregate packing and aggregate interlock, blending aggregates by volume, a new understanding of coarse and fine aggregate, and analysis of the resulting gradation. These concepts are the result of many years of field experience and are the backbone of the Bailey method for asphalt mix design. These methods are under continued development as the improved method for asphalt mixture design, which will assist with the transition to contractor mix design.
Abstract