See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308876201

2D image analysis method for evaluating coarse

aggregate characteristic and distribution in
concrete

Article in Construction and Building Materials November 2016

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.120

CITATIONS READS

0 251

4 authors:

Jianguo Han Kejin Wang

Tsinghua University Iowa State University
13 PUBLICATIONS 51 CITATIONS 145 PUBLICATIONS 1,781 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Xuhao Wang P. J. M. Monteiro

National Concrete Pavement Technology Ce University of California, Berkeley
35 PUBLICATIONS 63 CITATIONS 325 PUBLICATIONS 6,292 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

concrete course View project

Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopic study of cementitious systems and phases View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Xuhao Wang on 09 October 2016.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are added to the original document
and are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
 Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

2D image analysis method for evaluating coarse aggregate characteristic

and distribution in concrete
Jianguo Han a,b,, Kejin Wang b, Xuhao Wang c, Paulo J.M. Monteiro d
a
Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
b
Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, IA 50014, USA
c
National Concrete Pavement Technology Center, Institute for Transportation, IA 50014, USA
d
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

h i g h l i g h t s

Two-dimensional image analysis method for particle status analysis is developed.

Coarse aggregate characteristic and distribution in concrete are analyzed.

Information of 2D image analysis and 3D experiment results has good consistency.

Image analysis can help to improve concrete quality and optimize mix proportion.

Disturbance should be avoid to guarantee coarse aggregate distributing homogeneity.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Two-dimensional (2D) image analysis method is developed for evaluating coarse aggregate characteristic
Received 19 March 2016 and distribution in concrete, based on concrete cross-section image. Coarse aggregate characteristic
Received in revised form 31 July 2016 includes particle size, particle grading, particle roundness and particle orientation. Coarse aggregate dis-
Accepted 28 September 2016
tribution includes particle distributing homogeneity, particle distance and mortar to coarse aggregate
area ratio (MAAR). The 2D image analysis method is performed on one conventional concrete and four
self-consolidating concrete. Except exhibiting the ability of the 2D image analysis method, the analysis
Keywords:
results also show the consistency of 2D information and 3D information, by comparing particle grading
Concrete
Image analysis
with sieving curve, and MAAR with mortar to coarse aggregate volume ratio (MAVR). Meanwhile, the 2D
Aggregate image analysis method can reveal the influence stochastic error, such as vibration and non-uniform sam-
Grading pling, on the homogeneity of concrete.
Orientation 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Homogeneity
Particle distance

1. Introduction
The characteristic of aggregate, especially coarse aggregate,
have significant effects on the properties of both fresh and hard-
ened concrete. Well-graded and round coarse aggregate permits
the lowering of paste volume required to obtain specified fresh
concrete workability. Homogenously distributed and randomly
oriented coarse aggregate can help to improve concrete mechani-
cal properties, durability, volume stability, and impermeability.
Because of the high flowability required for self-consolidation,
mortar in self-consolidating concrete (SCC) usually has low yield
Corresponding author at: Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China.
E-mail address: hanjg@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn (J. Han).
stress and viscosity, which may lead to coarse aggregate segrega-
tion. Using image analysis and rheology methods, some research
has been done to understand the influencing factors and character-
ization methods of concrete segregation. Shen studied the segrega-
tion tendency of SCC under static and dynamic conditions, and
developed a model to analyze the critical factors [1]. Using a
two-dimensional (2D) image analysis method, Wang evaluated
the influence of coarse aggregate size, mineral admixture, and vis-
cosity modifying agent on coarse aggregate distribution and con-
crete segregation [2]. Using geoendoscopy and image processing
techniques, Breul et al. developed a method to evaluate on-site
concrete homogeneity [3]. Fang and Labi developed a methodology
for recognizing aggregate particles in concrete and evaluating the
Hardened Visual Stability Index (HVSI) of concrete using statistical
methods [4]. Safiuddin studied the relationship between the fresh

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.120
0950-0618/ 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042 31

concrete passing ability and the segregating tendency, and con-
cluded that the filling and passing ability of SCC concrete was
inversely proportional to its segregation resistance [5]. Masad
employed a 2D image analysis method to study the influence of
different compaction methods on aggregate and air void distribu-
tion in asphalt concrete [6]. Using commercial image analysis soft-
ware, Gopalakrishnan developed a macro subroutine to study the
effect of consolidation on the coarse aggregate distribution and ori-
entation in hot-mixed asphalt concrete [7,8]. Yue and Morin used
the angle between the major axis of an aggregate particle and a
selected axis to represent the particle orientation in asphalt con-
crete [9]. These studies have promoted the understanding of influ-
encing factors on the segregation problem of concrete, as well as
the use of the image analysis for aggregate particle discrimination
and characterization. But there still lacks an image analysis
method that can systematically characterize the coarse aggregate
characteristic and distribution information in concrete, as well as
a consistency investigation on the 2D image analysis method
results with 3D results obtained with other measuring methods.
In this paper, 2D image analysis method is developed that is
capable of giving information about coarse aggregate characteristic
and distribution in concrete. Coarse aggregate characteristic
includes particle size, particle grading, particle roundness and par-
ticle orientation. Coarse aggregate distribution includes particle
distributing homogeneity, particle distance and mortar to coarse
aggregate area ratio (MAAR). Meanwhile, this paper investigates
the consistency of 2D image analysis results with the coarse aggre-
gate sieving curve, mortar to coarse aggregate volume ratio
(MAVR) calculated based on concrete mix proportion, and the seg-
regation tendency predicted by rheology parameters.
2. Materials and mix proportions
The cementitious materials used in the present study include
Type I/II Portland cement, Class C fly ash (C-FA), Class F fly ash
(F-FA), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (slag), and limestone
powder (LP). Their chemical compositions are listed in Table 1.
River sand with a fineness modulus of 2.63 was used as fine
aggregate, and crushed limestone with a nominal diameter of
4.759.0 mm was used as coarse aggregate.
The following chemical admixtures were used: air-entraining
agent (AEA), polycarboxylate-based high-range water reducer
(HRWR), and viscosity-modifying admixture (VMA).
As shown in Table 2, by controlling the dosage of HRWR and
VMA, one conventional concrete (CC) and four SCC mix proportions
were produced. The compressive strength of the concrete is also
presented in Table 2.
3. Test methods
Slump and setting time of concrete was determined according
to ASTM C1611 [10] and ASTM C403 [11], respectively. Yield stress
and viscosity of mortar were measured using a Brookfield rheome-
ter following the procedure suggested by Lomboy et al.: at the
beginning of the test, the spindle rotation increases from 0 to
0.2 rev/s over 180 s; the rotation is then kept at 0.2 rev/s for 60 s,
followed by an increment in rotation from 0.2 to 100 rev/s over
60 s; finally, the rotation is reduced to 0 rev/s over the next 60 s
[12]. The rheology parameter (yield torque) of concrete was mea-
sured using an IBB rheometer following the procedure suggested
by Wang et al.: pre-shear the sample at 0.2 rev/s for 25 s and stop
the rotation for 25 s, then increase the impeller speed linearly from
0 to 1 rev/s over 100 s and follow with a linear decrease in impeller
speed linearly to zero over 100 s [13]. The concrete was cast into a
4 in. (diameter)  8 in. (height) cylinder, the CC was consolidated
by rodding according to ASTM C31 [14], and the SCC was casted
into a mold without vibration. All concrete specimens were de-
molded after 24 h. The compressive strength was measured at
56 days according to ASTM C39 [15], and specimens were split at
210 days according to ASTM C496 [16].

Table 1
Chemical composition of cementitious materials, wt%.

Name CaO SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 SO3 MgO Na2O K2O P2O5 LOI Total
Cement 62.94 20.10 4.44 3.09 3.18 2.88 0.10 0.61 0.06 2.22 99.62
F-FA 15.78 50.87 20.17 5.27 0.61 3.19 0.69 1.09 0.44 0.07 98.18
C-FA 21.54 42.46 19.46 5.51 1.20 4.67 1.42 0.68 0.84 0.19 97.97
Slag 36.86 37.00 9.00 0.68 10.40 0.30 0.38 0.01 94.63

Table 2
Concrete mix proportions and compressive strength at 56 days.

Name CC* SCC*

CC-1 SCC-1 SCC-2 SCC-3 SCC-4
Cement (kg/m3) 295 337 337 320 290
C-FA (kg/m3) 0 113 0 0 0
F-FA (kg/m3) 98 0 113 0 90
Slag (kg/m3) 0 0 0 138 0
LP (kg/m3) 0 0 0 0 67
Water (kg/m3) 169 166 166 166 166
Binder** (kg/m3) 393 450 450 458 447
W/B 0.43 0.37 0.37 0.36 0.37
Sand (kg/m3) 698 737 737 743 737
Aggregate (kg/m3) 993 901 901 908 901
HRWA*** 0 522 522 522 782
VMA*** 0 0 130 130 0
AEA*** 36 52 52 52 98
C.S.y /MPa 44.9 53.9 51.6 53.7 41.1
*
CC: conventional concrete; SCC: self-consolidating concrete.
**
Binder includes cement, class C fly ash, class F fly ash, slag and limestone powder.
***
The unit of HRWA, VMA and AEA is ml/(100 kg binder).
y
Compressive strength.
32 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042

4. Image analysis program
When the coarse aggregate characteristic and distribution sta-
tus in concrete is evaluated using a 2D image analysis method, it
is important to understand its representation of three-
dimensional (3D) status. According to Cavalieris Principle, the
area percentage in the cross-section of a sample is assumed to
be equal to the volume percentage in the 3D representation
[17]. Because it is much easier to get a 2D image than a 3D image
of concrete, much research has been done based on 2D imaging,
and the feasibility of using 2D imaging to represent information
about a 3D object has also been discussed. Mouret et al. and Igar-
ashi et al. have utilized the anhydrous phase area percentage
obtained from 2D back scattered electron (BSE) images to calcu-
late the degree of hydration of cement [18,19]. Using 2D scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) images, Haha et al. have calculated the
degree of alkali silica reaction, and the research results suggested
that the degree of critical reaction coincides with crack initiation
caused by microscopic expansion [20]. Research done by Masad
et al. showed that asphalt concrete porosity data obtained from
2D X-ray tomography images compared well with that measured
by the bulk specific gravity method [21]. Scrivener discussed the
feasibility of using 2D image analysis and stated that it is reason-
able to use the area percentage of a 2D image to represent the 3D
volume percentage [22]. In this paper, it is assumed that 2D
image analysis results of coarse aggregate status can represent
its 3D status.
A 2D image analysis method was developed in this paper to
evaluate coarse aggregate characteristic and distribution in con-
crete. First, concrete cylinder specimens were split in half (In this
paper, concrete cross-section was prepare by splitting other than
sawing; because the roughness of fractured surface was also of
interest for other investigation.). Second, the fractured surfaces of
the split specimens were photographed using a digital camera
(3456  2304 pixels) under uniform light. Then, the digital images
were imported into the developed image analysis program for
processing and analyzing.
The flow chart of the developed 2D image analysis method is
given in Fig. 1. The flow chart can be divided into five sections:
(1) image process section (procedures 15), (2) aggregate particle
distributing homogeneity analysis section (procedures 6 and 7),
(3) aggregate particle distance analysis section (procedures
810), (4) mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio analysis section
(procedures 8, 9, and 11), and (5) aggregate size, grading and
orientation analysis section (procedures 12 and 13).
4.1. Image process
The purpose of image process section is to obtain a high-quality
binary digital image, which is the object of the subsequent analy-
ses. The image process section includes procedures 15 in Fig. 1.
In procedure 1, a digital picture of a split concrete surface is
obtained using a digital camera, as shown in Fig. 2(a). The digital
picture is RGB color type (composed by red, green and blue colors).
In procedure 2, the RGB color digital picture is first converted to
a grayscale image, then aggregate particles (including fine and
coarse aggregate) are recognized based on grayscale value. During
the aggregate recognition process, the grayscale image is converted
to a binary image, which is composed of only two logical values, 0
and 1, where 1 means the original pixel grayscale value is higher
than the selected threshold value and appears as a white color
pixel in the binary image (threshold value was determined by
Otsus method [23]). Here the aggregate particles are endowed
with white color because they have higher grayscale value than
that of cement paste. The binary image is shown in Fig. 2(b). In
actual practice, to increase the contrast of cement paste and aggre-
gate, some kind of dye such as phenolphthalein can be used to
change the color of the cement paste based on its high alkalinity.
However, due to the mineral variety of aggregate, some error will
be produced inevitably during the aggregate recognition procedure

1# Digital
Digital Photo
Photo

Aggregate recognition
Aggregate recognition
2# (Fine
(Fine and
and Coarse
Coarse Aggregate)
Aggregate)

3# Fine
Fine Aggregate
Aggregate Elimination
Elimination

Do
Do Aggregate
Aggregate Y
4# need
need Detaching?
Detaching?
g?

N
5# Detached
Detached
Aggregate
Aggregate

6# Concrete
Concrete Region
Region Division
Division 8# Aggregate
ggregate Centroid
Centroid Recognization
Recognization 12# Surround
Surround Aggregate
Aggregate by
by LAR
LAR

Concrete
Concrete 9# Delaunry
Delaunry Triangulation
Triangulation 13# Aggregate
Aggregate Size
Size and
and
7# homogeneity Orientation
Orientation
homogeneity analysis
analysis

10# Distance
Distance of
of Aggregate
Aggregate Mortar
Mortar to
to Aggregate Ratio 11#
Aggregate Ratio

Fig. 1. Flow chart of image analysis program.

 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042
Fig. 2. Images related to image process section.
based on the grayscale value. To enhance the recognition quality,
an alternative method is to recognize the coarse aggregate manu-
ally, which can be time consuming. In this paper, aggregate recog-
nition is first accomplished based on the grayscale values of
cement paste and aggregate. The recognition effect is then further
enhanced by manually checking and correcting, through the com-
parison of binary image and concrete specimen.
Much research has been done on aggregate particle recognition
within 2D concrete images, and it seems more work should be
done in this domain. Diamond showed the difficulty in aggregate
recognition due to the color variation between aggregate particles
and even within a single particle [24]. Soroushian et al. and
Ammouche et al. have utilized Woods metal and florescent dye
to enhance the ability to identify cracks and pores in concrete
[25,26]. Yang and Buenfeld developed an image processing method
to enhance the ability to discriminate aggregate particles, combin-
ing greyscale threshold value deciding, filtering, and binary opera-
tions [27]. Mouret et al. used an iterative self-organizing data
analysis technique (ISODATA) to enhance the ability to discrimi-
nate aggregate [18]. However, due to the tremendous color varia-
tion that comes from the aggregate compositions complexity,
there is still no an automatic aggregate particle discrimination
method that can guarantee perfect recognition ability. Therefore,
it is sometimes necessary to improve the recognition effect manu-
ally. The research results of Abbas et al. and Stroeven et al. have
showed the challenge of particle recognition and the necessity of
manual recognition [28,29].
In procedure 3, the recognized aggregate is divided into fine
aggregate and coarse aggregate based on the area of white color
regions. The area is calculated by multiplying the number of pixels
33
in the region by the area per pixel. Aggregates with an area less
than a circle area with an equivalent diameter of 4.75 mm are
defined as fine aggregate in this paper, according to ASTM C125
[30]. The fine aggregate is eliminated from the total aggregate
because coarse aggregate is often of greater concern when consid-
ering aggregate characteristic and distribution. The binary image
containing coarse aggregate only is given in Fig. 2(c).
In procedure 4, the coarse aggregate separating status is
checked and the agglomerated aggregates are detached. The
detaching process is accomplished by the following strategy: first,
identify the centroids of the individual aggregate particles, as
shown in Fig. 2(d); then, manually check whether two or more
aggregate particles share a common centroid; if so, these aggregate
particles are deemed as agglomerated and should be detached;
finally, use an erosion algorithm to detach the agglomerate and
once again detect the centroids of the aggregate particles to verify
the detaching effect. The agglomerated aggregate particles and the
detaching effect are illustrated in Fig. 2(e) and (f), respectively.
Meanwhile, if there is aggregate agglomerate, after the detaching,
it is very likely that an aggregate particle with an area less than
a circle area with an equivalent diameter of 4.75 mm will be gen-
erated. So, procedure 3 is run one more time after the detaching to
eliminate the generated fine aggregate.
Arriving at procedure 5, only well-detached coarse aggregates
are left and ready for the subsequent image analyses.
4.2. Coarse aggregate distributing homogeneity
SCC usually has low yield stress and viscosity, due to the
requirement of high flowability. Coarse aggregate tends to descend
34 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042
(or settle down) in a freshly mixed concrete, due to its higher den-
sity compared with paste, resulting in less coarse aggregate in the
upper part and more in the lower part of a concrete element
(segregation).
As shown in Fig. 1, the aggregate particle distributing homo-
geneity analysis section consists of procedures 6 and 7. In proce-
dure 6, the fractured concrete surface is divided into several
regions along the casting direction. Coarse aggregate area ratio
(AAR) is used to reflect the coarse aggregate distributing homo-
geneity in this paper. AAR is defined as the percentage of the total
area of coarse aggregate to the total area of the divided region.
Three regions are used in this paper, as illustrated in Fig. 3, which
reflects the coarse aggregate distributing homogeneity in the
upper, middle, and bottom parts of a concrete cylinder specimen
Fig. 3. Divided concrete fracture surface image.
Table 3
AAR value of divided regions of a concrete specimen.
Location Upper Middle
AAR (%) 20.1 21.4
Fig. 4. Least area rectangles outside coarse aggregates, (color is used to differentiate aggregate particles). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the
reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
(concrete was cast in from upper part and concrete specimen
was hardened in vertical status). In procedure 7, the AAR value is
calculated. Table 3 illustrates the calculation result of a concrete
specimen. In a well prepared concrete specimen, the AAR values
of all divided regions should be equal or very similar; otherwise,
there is certain degree of segregation occurred in the measured
concrete specimen.
4.3. Coarse aggregate characteristic
The coarse aggregate characteristic section analyzes particle
size, grading, roundness, and orientation. These parameters have
significant effects on flowability and the consolidating ability of
fresh concrete.
Coarse aggregate particle size was measured by the least area
rectangle (LAR) method, as shown in Fig. 4. In the LAR method, a
rectangle is drawn around each coarse aggregate particle, and this
rectangle has the smallest area compared with that of any other
rectangles that could be drawn to surround the particle [31]. The
concept of the LAR method is illustrated in Fig. 5(a). Keeping the
particle still, a light source that can emit parallel light beams is
moved in a circle around the particle, the parallel light beam is cast
on the particle, and the shade length on the opposite side is mea-
sured. By recording the angle hi and length li, a series of (hi,li) pairs
can be determined. The value of iis determined by the moving step
of the light source, e.g., moving the light source every 1 degree in
the range of 0359 degrees will result in 360 pairs of (hi,li). By mul-
tiplying every two lengths that are perpendicular to each other,
e.g., l0  l90 (the 0 degree length times the 90 degree length), a ser-
ies of rectangular areas can be determined. By finding the rectangle
with the minimum area from the list, the LAR of one coarse aggre-
gate particle can be obtained. By repeating this procedure, all of the
coarse aggregate particles LAR values can be obtained.
To demonstrate how to calculate coarse aggregate particle size,
roundness, and orientation, one of the coarse aggregate particles
from Fig. 4, with its LAR marked as A, is taken out and drawn
again in Fig. 5(b). Coarse aggregate size is defined as the longer side
(L) of the LAR. Coarse aggregate roundness is defined as the ratio of
the long side to the short side (L/W) of the LAR. The roundness is
equal to one when the rectangles shape degenerates to a square.
The higher the roundness, the more elongated the shape of the
coarse aggregate. Coarse aggregate orientation is defined as the
Bottom angle (h) formed by the longer side of the LAR and the casting
24.8 direction of the concrete (the 8 in. long side of the concrete cylin-
der), and the orientation angle (h) is between 0 and 180 degree.
 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042
Fig. 5. Coarse aggregate size and orientation.
Fig. 6. Roundness and orientation of each coarse aggregate particle.
The roundness and orientation information of each coarse
aggregate particle is given in Fig. 6, in which the radius gives the
information about the roundness and the angle from 0 to 180
degrees gives the information about the orientation. Based on the
results shown in Fig. 6, the statistical results of roundness can be
calculated. The results show that 75.6% of the coarse aggregate
has roundness between 1 and 2, 23.5% of the coarse aggregate
has roundness between 2 and 3, and 0.9% of the coarse aggregate
has roundness greater than 3.
To further facilitate the understanding of the coarse aggregate
orientation, the semicircle in Fig. 6 with the range of 0180 degrees
is divided to 6 regions, as illustrated in Fig. 7(a). It is defined that
Fig. 7. Coarse aggregate orientation analyses.
35
030 and 150180 degrees are horizontal directions, 3060 and
120150 degrees are tilt directions, 6090 and 90120 degrees
are vertical directions. The orientation results of all coarse aggre-
gate falling into the aforementioned three directions of the con-
crete specimen is given in Fig. 7(b).
Individual coarse aggregate particle size of one concrete speci-
men is given in Fig. 8(a), and the horizontal axis is the coarse
aggregate number. The statistical results of coarse aggregate parti-
cle size are given in Fig. 8(b), in which particle size is first sorted by
value and classified into several bins (30 bins are used here). By
adding step by step the values in consecutive bins along with the
increment of coarse aggregate size in Fig. 8(b), the cumulative
value of coarse aggregate counts along with particle size can be
obtained, as given in Fig. 8(c). The shape and meaning of Fig. 8(c)
is very similar to the coarse aggregate sieving curve, the difference
being that the cumulative value here is coarse aggregate quantity
rather than mass.
4.4. Distance between coarse aggregates
The coarse aggregate particle distance analysis section
includes procedures 810 in Fig. 1, and the distance of coarse
aggregate particles is calculated based on the Delaunay triangle
method [32].
Theoretically, for a set of points, the Delaunay triangle method
tries to form a series of triangles, and for each triangle there is no
other point that falls into its circumcircle. The Delaunay triangle
36 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042

Fig. 8. (a) Coarse aggregate size distribution coarse aggregate size distribution and cumulative value.

Fig. 9. Delaunay triangles based on coarse aggregate centroids.

method is always unique as long as no four points in the point set triangulation process and tends to avoid skinny triangles. Based
are co-circular. Meanwhile, the Delaunay triangle method maxi- on its advantage for connecting points and dividing the space
mizes the minimum angle of all the angles of the triangles in the between points, the Delaunay triangle method is adopted here.
 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042 37

In procedure 8, the centroids of each coarse aggregate particle
are identified. In procedure 9, the Delaunay triangles are con-
structed based on the centroids. Delaunay triangulation can be
accomplished by a software package (e.g. the Delaunay function
in Matlab software), and the calculation result can tell which three
points is connected to form a triangle. The Delaunay triangulation
result based on the coarse aggregate centroids is shown in Fig. 9.
The side length of a Delaunay triangle is defined as the distance
between coarse aggregate particles. All of the Delaunay triangle
side lengths are calculated, and the statistical result of these dis-
tances is given in Fig. 10(a), in which the distances are classified
into a number of bins at discrete but consecutive distance values.
The cumulative value of the coarse aggregate particle distances is
given in Fig. 10(b), which can reflect the coarse aggregate particle
distance distribution and can be used to compare this property
among different concrete specimens.
4.5. Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio
The mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio can reflect the thick-
ness of the mortar on the coarse aggregate surface. This value has
decisive influence on concrete rheology, volume stability, mechan-
ical properties, anti-penetration ability, and economical efficiency.
The mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio analysis section con-
sists of procedures 8, 9, and 11 in Fig. 1. The Delaunay triangle
method is used once again to calculate the mortar to coarse aggre-
gate area ratio. As illustrated in Fig. 11(a), centroids C-1, C-2, and
C-3 comprise a Delaunay triangle, in which the lined area corre-
sponds to the mortar and the white colored areas correspond to
coarse aggregate. By integrating the lined area and the white col-
ored areas, the mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio can be calcu-
lated using Eq. (1).
dashed area
Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio 1
white areas
The mortar area and coarse aggregate area in a triangle is calcu-
lated using the following procedure: (1) build a rectangle just out-
side the specific triangle, as illustrated in Fig. 11(b), which can be
done by finding the minimum and maximum coordinate values
of the three vertexes of the triangle; (2) query all the pixels in
the rectangle to judge which ones belong to the triangle; (3) if a
pixel falls within the triangle, judge the binary value of the pixel,
with 0 indicating mortar and 1 indicating aggregate; (4) count
the number of the binary values 0 and 1 separately to calculate
the mortar area and aggregate area.

Fig. 10. Coarse aggregate distance statistical analysis and cumulative value.

Fig. 11. Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio analysis based on Delaunay triangle.
38 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042
Fig. 12. Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio of Delaunay triangle.
The calculated mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio values of
each Delaunay triangle is given in Fig. 12, listed as the relationship
between the Delaunay triangle number and the mortar to coarse
aggregate area ratio. As can be seen from Fig. 12, except for the
exceptionally high value at Delaunay triangle number 95, the val-
ues fluctuate in a relatively concentrated range. This figure also
demonstrates the constructing ability of the Delaunay triangle
method, which attempts to avoid building skinny triangles.
5. Analyses results and discussion
Using the 2D image analysis method developed in this paper,
one fractured concrete cross-section image of each concrete mix
proportion as shown in Table 2 (one CC and four SCC) were ana-
lyzed and discussed as following.
5.1. Coarse aggregate distributing homogeneity
Fig. 13 shows the analysis results of coarse aggregate distribut-
ing homogeneity. As can be seen, all of the concrete specimens
have some tendency of segregation, with the bottom part possess-
ing a higher AAR relative to the upper and middle parts. Compared
with the conventional concrete specimens, the self-consolidating
concrete specimens have better homogeneity except for specimen
SCC-2. SCC-2 contains a relatively high level of Class F fly ash
replacement of cement (25% by weight of total binder). Although
VMA was added to its mix proportion, the anti-segregation ability
of SCC-2 is still not as satisfying. Therefore, further measures such
as adding more VMA or modifying it mix proportion should be
adopted to tackle this problem.
5.2. Coarse aggregate particle grading and roundness
Coarse aggregate particle grading and roundness were analyzed
based on the LAR method. The results are shown in Fig. 14
(a) and (b), respectively. Integral curves are shown in Fig. 14
(a) and (b), and the integration method for particle roundness data
is the same as that of particle size. A curve possessing higher slope
in Fig. 14(a) indicates that there are more small particles in this
specimen. Similarly, a curve possessing a higher slope in Fig. 14
(b) indicates that the corresponding specimen possesses more
round-shaped particles than other specimens.
All the concrete specimens in Fig. 14(a) and (b) were made with
same batch of coarse aggregate, but the curves of coarse aggregate
Fig. 13. Concrete homogeneity analyses.
size distribution and roundness are not exactly the same. This
reflects the fact that coarse aggregate size and shape may vary in
different specimens due to the inherent variation in coarse aggre-
gate particle shape and size, and the different extraction location of
coarse aggregate from its pile for concrete preparation can con-
tribute to this result also.
Based on the curves in Fig. 14(a) and (b), it can be concluded
that the coarse aggregate in SCC-2 has better roundness and pos-
sess more small-sized particles than that of other specimens.
Meanwhile, by constructing the relationship between coarse
aggregate size and roundness in all concrete specimens, Fig. 14(c)
clearly indicates that small-sized coarse aggregate tends to have
better roundness.
The comparison of coarse aggregate size distribution obtained
from image analysis and the sieving curve is shown in Fig. 14(d).
The sieving curve corresponds to the upper and right axis of
Fig. 14(d), as indicated by the horizontal and vertical arrows. At
the same time, the five image analysis results correspond to the
right and bottom axis and are normalized by the coarse aggregate
particle count of each specimen (as given in Fig. 14(a)). Although
the sieving curve is based on mass percentage and the image anal-
ysis results are based on size percentage, their size distribution
curves are quite close. Therefore, it seems very promising that
coarse aggregate size distribution obtained by 2D image analysis
can be used to represent or infer the coarse aggregate sieving
curve. Fernlund et al. found similar results, indicating that the min-
imum bounding square around the minimum projected area of the
particles showed good correlation with the sieve analysis results
[33].
5.3. Coarse aggregate orientation
The coarse aggregate orientations for all concrete specimens are
given in Fig. 15. Although it seems that the orientation status of
specimen SCC-1 is more even than that of others, no definite orien-
tation tendency can be concluded for all the other specimens. The
result seems to indicate that the consolidating method used in this
research did not jeopardize the orientation of the coarse aggregate
very much. However, more work should be done to study the rela-
tionship between the difference of orientation and the index repre-
senting the orientation quality of concrete.
5.4. Distance between coarse aggregate particles
The analysis results of coarse aggregate particle distance for all
concrete specimens are given in Fig. 16, and the curves are in inte-
 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042 39

Fig. 14. Coarse aggregate roundness and size distribution.

Fig. 15. Coarse aggregate orientation analysis results.

Fig. 16. Coarse aggregate distance analysis results.

gral form. The slopes of all the curves become stable after 40 mm method. The slope of specimen SCC-2 is steeper than that of other
on the X-axis, meaning that coarse aggregate distance is seldom specimens, meaning that the coarse aggregate particle distance in
more than 40 mm when calculated by the Delaunay triangle this specimen is shorter than that of others. This result is due to the
40 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042

fact that there are more small-sized and round-shaped particles in aggregate volume ratio by dividing the mortar volume by the
this specimen, and the segregation tendency of the specimen is coarse aggregate volume. The coarse aggregate volume is obtained
more severe than other SCC concrete, which can enhance the pack- by dividing the coarse aggregate mass in the mix proportion by the
ing density and lower the distance between the particles. coarse aggregate apparent density.
As can be seen in Table 4, although there is deviation between
different evaluating methods, the consistency of the results is
5.5. Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio
good. The consistency between the value of the binary image area
integration method and the volume fraction method shows the
Fig. 17 shows the mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio for all
feasibility of using the area percentage obtained from a 2D image
concrete specimens. The curves become stable after the value of
to represent the volume percentage in a 3D representation. The
5 on the X-axis, which means that the Delaunay triangles seldom
average value obtained from the Delaunay triangle method is not
contain 5 times more mortar area than coarse aggregate area. Once
necessarily equal to the value obtained from the binary image area
again, the curve for specimen SCC-2 has a steeper slope in the
integration method. These two values can be equal only when the
ascending section, which means that this specimen contains more
entire fractured surface is covered by Delaunay triangles and the
Delaunay triangles possessing lower mortar to aggregate ratio than
coarse aggregate area ratio in each triangle is equal. The closer
other specimens. The lower mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio is
the two values and the lower the standard error of the Delaunay
a result of the more compacted particles, which is reflected in the
triangle area ratio values, the more homogeneous distribution sta-
shorter coarse aggregate distance in Fig. 16.
tus of coarse aggregate will be.
The average value of the mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio
The deviation between the 2D image analysis method and the
calculated by the Delaunay triangle method for all concrete speci-
volume calculation method may due to the following reasons: (1)
mens is given in Table 4. Meanwhile, the mortar to coarse aggre-
the actual particle shape of the coarse aggregate is irregular; there
gate area ratio calculated by the binary image area integration
are seldom volume-symmetrical particles, but abundant elongated
method and the mortar to coarse aggregate volume ratio calculated
particles; (2) during the splitting of the concrete, coarse aggregate
by the volume fraction method are also provided in Table 4. The
tends to be fractured at its weak regions, and the weak region usu-
binary image area integration method involves accumulating all
ally has a small cross-section area; (3) the concrete specimen per-
the black points (representing mortar) and white points (repre-
formed image analysis contains less coarse aggregate content
senting coarse aggregate) in the binary image, to get the total mor-
comparing with the theoretical value due to the bulk concrete seg-
tar area and the total coarse aggregate area, and then dividing the
regation, as can be seen by the difference value (value in parenthe-
total mortar area by the total coarse aggregate area. The volume
sis) in Table 4 and the segregation status in Fig. 13; (4) there may
fraction method involves first calculating the coarse aggregate vol-
be systematic error between cross-section area ratio and volume
ume in concrete, then assuming that the remaining volume is pos-
ratio, and this needs further research.
sessed by mortar, and finally calculating the mortar to coarse

5.6. Concrete rheology and segregation

Concrete workability and rheology properties are influenced by

binder content, water to binder ratio, dosage of HRWA and VMA,
and the characteristics of the coarse aggregate. In this section,
the influence of coarse aggregate characteristics and concrete rhe-
ology on concrete segregation status is analyzed.
The rheological properties of the conventional concrete and SCC
are given in Table 5. To facilitate the explanation, some of the mix
proportion parameters in Table 2 are presented in this table once
again. The mortar used for rheology properties measurement was
sieved out from the corresponding concrete.
Compared with SCC, conventional concrete has lower slump
flow value, higher yield stress of mortar, and higher yield torque
of concrete than that of SCC. The viscosity of mortar form conven-
tional concrete is comparable to that of SCC concrete.
The main difference between the four types of SCC used in this
research is that they contained different types of mineral admix-
Fig. 17. Mortar to aggregate area ratio analysis results.
tures, and VMA was introduced only to SCC-2 and SCC-3. Based
on the mortar rheology parameters (yield stress and viscosity), it

Table 4
Mortar to coarse aggregate area/volume ratio.

Type Name Mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio Mortar to coarse aggregate volume ratio
Delaunay triangle method* Binary image area integration method Volume fraction method
**
CC CC-1 1.34 1.34 (19.8% ) 1.67
SCC SCC-1 1.83 1.95 (0.5%) 1.94
SCC-2 1.32 1.27 (34.5%) 1.94
SCC-3 2.05 1.81 (5.7%) 1.92
SCC-4 2.14 2.07 (6.7%) 1.94
*
Average value of all Delaunay triangles.
**
Difference between binary image area integration method and volume fraction method.
 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042 41

Table 5
Concrete workability, mortar and concrete rheology properties.

Name CC SCC
CC-1 SCC-1 SCC-2 SCC-3 SCC-4
Slump flow (/mm) 165 705 730 740 699
Final setting time/minutes 298 578 490 473 568
Yield stress of mortar (/Pa) 142.05 37.87 26.80 10.73 53.11
Viscosity of mortar (/Pas) 1.56 1.73 0.87 1.95 1.08
Yield torque of concrete (/Nm) 2.84 0.78 0.61 0.54 0.88
Binder (kg/m3) 393 450 450 458 447
Mineral admixture type F-FA C-FA F-FA Slag F-FA and LP
W/B 0.43 0.37 0.37 0.36 0.37
HRWA 0 522 522 522 782
VMA 0 0 130 130 0

can be seen that SCC-2 and SCC-3 have lower yield stress values
than that of SCC-1 and SCC-4, meanwhile, SCC-2 and SCC-4 have
lower viscosity than SCC-1 and SCC-3. SCC-2 and SCC-3 concrete
have lower yield torque values and higher slump flow values than
that SCC-1 and SCC-4 concrete, and this is benefited from the lower
yield stress values of corresponding mortar. The research of Hoce-
var et al. also indicated that there is a strong correlation between
concrete yield stress and workability (slump and slump flow) [34].
Mortar is usually described as a plastic fluid using the Bingham
model; its rheology behavior follows Eq. (2):
s s0 cg
_ 2
where, s is shear stress, s0 is yield stress, c_ is shear strain rate, and g
is plastic viscosity.
The descending tendency of a coarse aggregate particle in
mortar is decided by the mortar yield stress, viscosity and density,
particle size and shape, and its surrounding particles [3537].
When the container of concrete is kept still and the movement of
coarse aggregate is only impelled by gravity, the movement of fluid
around a coarse aggregate particle can be regarded as streamlined
flow. Postulating the shape of a coarse aggregate particle to be
spherical, the threshold value of particle size to settle down given
by Roussel N. is shown in Eq. (3) [38]:
18s0
dthreshold
qs  ql g
where, dthreshold is the threshold value of coarse aggregate particle
size, particle sizes smaller than which will not settle down in mor-
tar; qs is the density of coarse aggregate; ql is the density of the
mortar; and g is the gravity. The density of mortar is calculated
by dividing the total mass of binder, water, and sand by their total
volume in Table 2, as given in Table 6. By utilizing the yield stress
and viscosity values of mortar in Table 5, and postulating the appar-
ent density of coarse aggregate to be equal to 2650 kg/m3, the
dthreshold can be calculated using Eq. (3) and given in Table 6.
The maximum coarse aggregate size obtained from image anal-
ysis as shown in Fig. 14(a) is also provided in Table 6. Because the
Dmax values are less than the dthreshold values in Table 6, the coarse
aggregate in all concrete specimens should not descend under
gravity during the static curing period. So, the segregation of con-
crete specimen discussed in section 5.1 is caused other than
gravity.
During casting and rodding period, the mortar in concrete is
disturbed and its yield stress is lowered, this effect can promote
coarse aggregate to settle down. Meanwhile, if a coarse aggregate
particle is hit directly by the head of the rod during rodding, it
may be knocked downward drastically. The descending tendency
of aggregate under the influence of consolidation has been
reported by Petrou et al.; in their research, statically stilled aggre-
gate was descended due to the vibration of mortar [34]. Given this
information, the homogeneity problem in specimen CC-1 is more
likely to be caused by the disturbance of the mortar during rod-
ding. The segregation of SCC is most likely due to the disturbance
of the mortar during casting and transferring; SCC-2 has more
sever segregation tendency compared with other SCC is resulted
from its lower mortar viscosity.
Combining the information of 2D image analysis result and con-
crete rheology parameter, it is suggested that sever disturbance or
vibration of fresh concrete, especially of SCC, should be avoid, for
guaranteeing the coarse aggregate distributing homogeneity.
6. Conclusions
3

The 2D image analysis method developed in present study can
be used to obtain information about coarse aggregate character-
istic and distribution from cross-section image of concrete.
Coarse aggregate characteristic includes particle size, particle
grading, particle roundness and particle orientation. Coarse
aggregate distribution includes particle distributing homogene-
ity, particle distance and mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio.

The information made available by the AAR value (particle dis-
tributing homogeneity), the LAR method (particle size, round-
ness and orientation), and the Delaunay triangle method
(particle distance and mortar to coarse aggregate area ratio)
can systematically reveal the status of coarse aggregate in con-
crete from 2D image.

Table 6
Threshold size of coarse aggregate for settling down.

Type Name Mortar density* dthreshold Dmax by image analysis

kg/m3 mm mm
CC CC-1 2235 629 28
SCC SCC-1 2276 186 24
SCC-2 2276 131 26
SCC-3 2295 56 21
SCC-4 2265 253 26
*
For this calculation, the apparent density of cement, C-FA, F-FA, lime stone powder, slag, water and sand are postulated as 3150 kg/m3, 2600 kg/m3, 2600 kg/m3,
2650 kg/m3, 2900 kg/m3, 1000 kg/m3 and 2650 kg/m3, respectively.
42 J. Han et al. / Construction and Building Materials 127 (2016) 3042

Concrete specimen from one conventional concrete and four
SCC were investigated by the developed 2D image analysis
method. And the image analysis results are compared with
other experiment results, such as sieving curve and mortar to
coarse aggregate volume ratio calculated from concrete mix
proportion. There is good consistency between 2D information
and 3D information.

The 2D image analysis method can be used to evaluate concrete
quality and optimize the mix proportion and casting methods,
based on the information obtained from image analysis, fresh
mortar/concrete rheology parameter and theoretical value cal-
culated from mix proportion.
Acknowledgements
The image analysis work was performed at Iowa State Univer-
sity (ISU) and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). The first
author would like to acknowledge the sponsorship from Tsinghua
University of China for his visiting professorship at ISU and UCB,
and the first author would like to acknowledge the National Natu-
ral Science Foundation of China (No. 51678343). The concrete
property data used in this study were measured from a separate
research project performed at ISU.
References
[1] L. Shen, Role of Aggregate Packing in Segregation and Flow Behavior of Self-
consolidating Concrete (PhD thesis), University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, Urbana, IL, 2007.
[2] X. Wang, Proportioning and Performance Evaluation of Self-consolidating
Concrete (PhD thesis), Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2014.
[3] P. Breul, J.M. Geoffray, Y. Haddani, On-site concrete segregation estimation
using image analysis, J. Adv. Concr. Technol. 6 (1) (2008) 171180.
[4] C. Fang, S. Labi, Evaluating the static segregation resistance of hardened self-
consolidating concrete using image processing technology, Transport. Res. Rec.
2020 (2007) 19.
[5] M. Safiuddin, M.H.M. Isa, M.Z. Jumaat, Fresh properties of self-consolidating
concrete incorporating palm oil fuel ash as a supplementary cementing
material, Chiang Mai J. Sci. 38 (3) (2011) 389404.
[6] E. Masad, B. Muhunthan, N. Shashidhar, T. Harman, Quantifying laboratory
compaction effects on the internal structure of asphalt concrete, Transport.
Res. Rec.: J. Transport. Res. Board, No. 1681, TRB, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C., 1999, p. 179185.
[7] K. Gopalakrishnan, N. Shashidhar, X. Zhong, Attempt at quantifying the degree
of compaction in HMA using image analysis, ASCE Geotechnical Special
Publication No. 130, 2005, p. 225239.
[8] K. Gopalakrishnan, N. Shashidhar, X. Zhong, Study of compaction in hot-mix
asphalt using computer simulations, World Acad. Sci. Eng. Technol. 15 (2008)
892898.
[9] Z.Q. Yue, I. Morin, Digital image processing for aggregate orientation in asphalt
concrete mixtures, Can. J. Civ. Eng. 23 (2) (1996) 480489.
[10] ASTM C1611/C1611M, Standard Test Method for Slump Flow of Self-
Consolidating Concrete, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2014.
[11] ASTM C403/C403M, Standard Test Method for Time of Setting of Concrete
Mixtures by Penetration Resistance, ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2008.
View publication stats
[12] G. Lomboy, X. Wang, K. Wang, Rheological behavior and formwork pressure of
SCC, SFSCC, and NC mixtures, Cem. Concr. Comp. (2014), http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.cemconcomp. 2014.05.001.
[13] X. Wang, K. Wang, P. Taylor, Assessing particle packing based self-
consolidating concrete mix design method, Constr. Build. Mater. 70 (2014)
439452.
[14] ASTM C31/C31M, Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test
Specimens in the Field, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2012.
[15] ASTM C39/C39M, Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of
Cylindrical Concrete Specimens, ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2014.
[16] ASTM C496/C496M, Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of
Cylindrical Concrete Specimens, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2011.
[17] A. Baddeley, E.B.V. Jensen, Stereology for Statisticians, Chapman and Hall/CRC,
2005, pp. 986.
[18] M. Mouret, E. Ringot, A. Bascoul, Image analysis: a tool for the characterisation
of hydration of cement in concretemetrological aspects of magnification on
measurement, Cem. Concr. Compos. 23 (2) (2001) 201206.
[19] S. Igarashi, A. Watanabe, M. Kawamura, Evaluation of capillary pore size
characteristics in high-strength concrete at early ages, Cem. Concr. Res. 35 (3)
(2005) 513519.
[20] M.B. Haha, E. Gallucci, A. Guidoum, et al., Relation of expansion due to alkali
silica reaction to the degree of reaction measured by SEM image analysis, Cem.
Concr. Res. 37 (8) (2007) 12061214.
[21] E. Masad, B. Muhunthan, N. Shashidhar, et al., Internal structure
characterization of asphalt concrete using image analysis, J. Comput. Civ.
Eng. 13 (2) (1999) 8895.
[22] K.L. Scrivener, Backscattered electron imaging of cementitious
microstructures: understanding and quantification, Cem. Concr. Compos. 26
(8) (2004) 935945.
[23] N. Otsu, A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms, Automatica
11 (285296) (1975) 2327.
[24] S. Diamond, Considerations in image analysis as applied to investigations of
the ITZ in concrete, Cem. Concr. Compos. 23 (2) (2001) 171178.
[25] P. Soroushian, M. Elzafraney, A. Nossoni, Specimen preparation and image
processing and analysis techniques for automated quantification of concrete
microcracks and voids, Cem. Concr. Res. 33 (12) (2003) 19491962.
[26] A. Ammouche, J. Riss, D. Breysse, et al., Image analysis for the automated study
of microcracks in concrete, Cem. Concr. Compos. 23 (2) (2001) 267278.
[27] R. Yang, N.R. Buenfeld, Binary segmentation of aggregate in SEM image
analysis of concrete, Cem. Concr. Res. 31 (3) (2001) 437441.
[28] A. Abbas, G. Fathifazl, B. Fournier, et al., Quantification of the residual mortar
content in recycled concrete aggregates by image analysis, Mater. Charact. 60
(7) (2009) 716728.
[29] P. Stroeven, A.P. Stroeven, D.H. Dalhuisen, Image analysis of natural concrete
samples by automated and manual procedures, Cem. Concr. Compos. 23 (2)
(2001) 227236.
[30] ASTM C125, Standard Terminology Relating to Concrete and Concrete
Aggregates, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2014.
[31] H. Freeman, R. Shapira, Determining the minimum-area encasing rectangle for
an arbitrary closed curve, Commun. ACM 18 (7) (1975) 409413.
[32] V.J.D. Tsai, Delaunay triangulations in TIN creation: an overview and a linear-
time algorithm, Int. J. Geogr. Inform. Sci. 7 (6) (1993) 501524.
[33] J.M.R. Fernlund, R.W. Zimmerman, D. Kragic, Influence of volume/mass on
grain-size curves and conversion of image-analysis size to sieve size, Eng. Geol.
90 (3) (2007) 124137.
[34] A. Hocevar, F. Kavcic, V. Bokan-Bosiljkov, Rheological parameters of fresh
concrete comparison of rheometers, Gradevinar 65 (02) (2013) 99109.
[35] A.N. Beris, J.A. Tsamopoulos, R.C. Armstrong, R.A. Brown, Creeping motion of a
sphere through a Bingham plastic, J. Fluid Mech. 158 (1985) 219244.
[36] L. Shen, L. Struble, D. Lange, Modeling static segregation of self-consolidating
concrete, ACI Mater. J. 106 (4) (2009) 367374.
[37] M. Petrou, B. Wan, F. Gardala-Maria, et al., Influence of mortar rheology on
aggregate settlement, ACI Mater. J. 97 (4) (2000) 479485.
[38] N. Roussel, A theoretical frame to study stability of fresh concrete, Mater.
Struct. 39 (1) (2006) 8191.