{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T09:03:56Z","timestamp":1785402236871,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":70,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778025600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["52578543"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52578543"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["52578543"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52578543"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The fracture of bituminous polymer composites is fundamentally dictated by microstructural heterogeneity and the complex viscoelasticity of the asphalt matrix. This study develops a robust numerical framework coupling a random polygonal aggregate distribution algorithm with a bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM) to simulate fracture mechanics in heterogeneous asphalt-based composites. A key feature of the model is the explicit accounting for the stochastic distribution of the coarse aggregate and the time-dependent mechanical response of the fine aggregate matrix (FAM). Following experimental validation via frequency sweep and semi-circular bending (SCB) tests, a multi-scale parametric analysis was conducted to quantify the impacts of aggregate gradation, volume fraction, and shape. Results demonstrate that mixtures with high percentages of large-sized aggregates effectively delay macroscopic fracture by increasing the energy dissipation required for cracks to bypass the aggregate phase. While increasing the volume fraction of aggregates improves peak strength, it simultaneously accelerates post-peak load deterioration and reduces total fracture work, indicating a critical loss in the composite\u2019s deformation capacity. Furthermore, particles with higher angularity provide superior blocking effects compared to rounded counterparts. This research offers a high-efficiency computational tool for the structural optimization of highly filled composites and provides critical insights into their internal stress states and macroscopic fracture mechanics.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18091139","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T08:01:39Z","timestamp":1778140899000},"page":"1139","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Mesoscopic Modeling of Fracture in Heterogeneous Bituminous Polymer Composites: Coupling Random Aggregate Distribution with Bilinear Cohesive Zone Models"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Wenjing","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hang","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Institute of Xi\u2019an Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology, Xi\u2019an 710025, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linyu","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhifei","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5645-734X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peng","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2338282","DOI":"10.1080\/10298436.2024.2338282","article-title":"Constitutive modelling and systematic evaluation of asphalt concrete\u2019s viscoelastic tension-compression asymmetry effect on pavement performance","volume":"25","author":"Tan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. 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