Using LADAR to characterize the 3-D shape of aggregates: Preliminary results

Previous publications have shown how a combination of X-ray computed tomography and spherical harmonic series could be used to characterize the 3-D shape of rocks used for aggregates in concrete. The X-ray computed tomography was used to obtain the raw 3-D numerical data for the coordinates of the aggregate surface. In this paper, we demonstrate how laser detection and ranging (LADAR) numerical data can replace X-ray computed tomography data and be used in conjunction with spherical harmonic series analysis to analyze the 3-D shape of aggregates.