SEDL / STP / STP1147-EB / STP24217S

A Simple Method for Determining the Surface Area of Fine Aggregates and Fillers in Bituminous Mixtures

Chapuis, RP
Professor, École Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec

Légaré, P-P
Professional Engineer, Public Works Laboratory, City of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec

Pages: 10    Published: Jan 1992

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Abstract

In bituminous mixtures the finer fraction of the sand and the filler have the highest surface area or specific surface. Surface related physico-chemical properties are known to largely influence the performance of asphalt mixtures. Usual methods to determine the surface area are approximate, often based on local experience with specific crushed rock materials. They may yield poor estimates of the true surface area. This paper proposes a simple method which does not involve an interpretation of the operator to visually determine some shape factor. Only the gradation curves of the fine aggregate and the filler, and their apparent specific gravity are considered in the proposed method, which does not use a shape factor or “fudge” factor. This method is demonstrated with five fillers for which the surface area was measured independently according to ASTM C 204.