Optimization of automatic extraction procedure for particles in asphalt mixture towards superior robustness and accuracy

•The voxel-based morphological process optimized the automatic extraction procedure of digital aggregates.•A robustness and accuracy analysis map was designed based on the virtual gradation of asphalt mixture.•The three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm can be evaluated quantitatively and then optimized purposefully.•Four types of internal defects generated by the traditional pixel-based method were detected.