Digital Evaluation of Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA) in Asphalt Mixtures Using Photogrammetric and Image Processing Techniques

The accurate management of internal air voids in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures is critical for long-lasting pavement performance, environmental aging resistance, construction workability, and for improved fatigue performance under repeated loading over time. Internal air voids are an essential consideration in the design of asphalt mixtures, as they directly impact the material's mechanical behavior and the longevity of the service. The most important volumetric metrics for assessing these attributes is the Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA) which is a principal design criterion in HMA specifications. Traditional methods of measuring VMA, especially those that use Marshall mix design methods, require a lot of laboratory work, specialized staff, and a lot

of time. This research aims to compensate these issues by testing the viability of an automated computer vision photogrammetry method to estimate VMA in HMA samples. The approach uses a commercially available cell phone to capture images for VMA analysis. HMA specimens were created via the Marshall method and VMA was determined using standard laboratory practices alongside the proposed imaging technique, allowing for the comparison of the new approach's accuracy and efficiency.

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