Characterization of asphaltic concrete using ImagePAC 2002

Abstract

A computer program, ImagePAC 2000, was designed to calculate the asphalt content, percent air voids, percent elongation, and aggregate gradation from a crosssectional image of a gyratory compacted hot mix asphalt pavement section. In this study, the program underwent a major revision, resulting in the code ImagePAC 2002, with increased user friendliness, flexibility, and accuracy. New capabilities include the determination of additional HMA characteristics such as aggregate location, orientation, shape, and texture. The revised program was used to analyze 15 new samples consisting of both laboratory compacted samples as well as field cores from newly paved highways. The results suggest that the revised program is more accurate than the original one at measuring asphalt content, percent air voids, percent elongation, and aggregate gradation. There is also a moderately good correlation between ImagePAC 2002 and laboratory data.