Isolated contact model of an idealized asphalt mix

The isolated contact modelling approach, first developed for analysis of po wder compaction, is applied to model the deformation behaviour of an ideali zed asphalt mix. The deformation characteristics of thin films of nonlinear viscous bitumen (established elsewhere) are employed as the microscopic co ntact model. An isolated contact model is derived to describe the deformati on of an idealized mix subject to axisymmetric loadings. Results are presen ted for mixes having isotropic and anisotropic microstructures. The evoluti on of anisotropy in initially isotropic mixes is also discussed. (C) 1999 P ublished by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.