Volumetric and Mechanical Properties of Large Stone Asphalt Mixture Produced by Laboratory Compaction of Vertical Vibration Compaction Method

Abstract

Herein, a vertical vibration compaction method (VVTM) is proposed to stimulate the practical compaction loading condition for a large stone asphalt mixture with nominal maximum size of 53 mm (LSAM-50) and its reliability is verified. The physical and mechanical properties of LSAM-50 specimens formed using VVTM and the static pressure method (PCT) were compared. The results show that the compression strength and splitting strength of VVTM specimens are 1.29 times and 1.31 times that of the PCT specimens, respectively. Compared with the field test, the compressive strengths of the VVTM and PCT specimens are 94.4% and 72.9% of the field core, respectively. The splitting strengths of the VVTM and PCT specimens are 89.5% and 68.0%, respectively. Additionally, the extraction test revealed that the degree of damage to the internal aggregates of VVTM specimens was considerably less than that of the PCT specimens. Therefore, the performance of VVTM specimens surpasses that of the PCT specimens, and the compaction effect of VVTM is more relevant to field compaction, making it a better choice for evaluating the mechanical and volumetric properties of LSAM-50.