Ultrasonic Characterisation of the Elastic Properties of Mineral Aggregates Used in Asphalt Mixtures

Abstract

Mineral aggregates are the main constituent of asphalt mixtures by volume, having a significant influence on the performance and durability of asphalt materials and flexible pavements, but their elastic stiffness properties are rarely investigated in the scientific literature. Nevertheless, these properties represent important input to micromechanical models which are aimed at providing a better understanding of the behaviour of asphalt mixtures as the basis for optimising their design. Herein, the elastic properties of 55 cylindrical specimens representing six types of rock from two quarries are investigated using ultrasonic testing, in order to assess the variation of the results between different rock types and between different samples of the same rock type as well as the sensitivity to specimen length (50–150 mm) and frequency (0.05–5.00 MHz). Most of the elastic stiffness values of the investigated rocks are found to be larger than stiffness values frequently used as input to micromechanical models.