Analysis of the percentage voids of test and field specimens using computerized tomography

Computerized tomography has been an excellent tool of analysis of asphaltic s mixtures, because it allows comparison of the quality and integrity of te st and field specimens, It was required to detect and follow the evolution of cracks, when these mixtures were submitted to fatigue tests, and also he lping to interpret the distribution of tensions and deformations which occu r in the several types of solicitations imposed to the mixtures. Comparing the medium values of percentage voids obtained from tomographic images with the project's values, it can be observed that the values of test and field specimens for the wearing course are closer to the ones of the project tha n the ones of the binder. It can be verified that the wearing course specim ens always present a distribution of the aggregate, and voids quite homogen eously in the whole profile of the sample, while the binder specimens show an accentuated differentiation of the same factors in the several heights o f the sample. Therefore, when choosing a slice for tomography, these consid erations should be taken into account. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.