Experimental procedure for evaluation of coarse aggregate polishing resistance

This paper presents the development of experimental methods for measuring aggregate textural retention, which is a very important property that influences pavement skid resistance. The 2nd version Aggregate Image Measurement System (AIMS-II) is used to measure coarse aggregate surface texture before and after different polishing time intervals in a modified Micro-Deval (MD) test procedure. The use of AIMS-II to compare aggregate surface texture and the evolution of aggregate polishing curves was verified and determined to be successful because AIMS-II texture measurement closely reflected historical data on aggregate frictional properties obtained by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Analytical functions, considering aggregate surface texture at different polishing times, were then used to describe the initial texture, rate of polishing, and terminal texture. Statistical analysis was used to determine that the required polishing time to achieve terminal texture in the modified MD is 210 min.