Evaluation of granular particle roundness using digital image processing and computational geometry

The engineering behaviors of granular materials has been proven to be influenced by particle roundness. Based on several computational geometry algorithms and a well-acknowledged roundness definition, an innovative roundness evaluation method is developed. Algorithm verifications are performed to verify the reliability and the capacity of this proposed method. Relative to the traditional chart method, the proposed method is more effective and more objective. The motivation of this study is to facilitate future studies on the relationship between microscopic particle shape and the microscopic mechanical behavior of granular materials.