This study presents a study on the binder film thickness effect on aggregate contact behavior. As a three-phase material composed of aggregates, asphalt binder and air voids, asphalt mixture could be considered as a visco-elastic material in the low stress level. Since the behavior of the mixture depends largely on the relationship of different components, a well developed contact model for micro-structural modeling is very important for understanding the deformation mechanism of the mixture. In this study, the contact modeling of asphalt mixture was reviewed and the numerical tools used to investigate the micromechanical behavior of asphalt mixture will also be introduced. By using the cabinet x-ray tomography system, the displacement and resistant force of a system of particles bonded by a thin layer binder are measured and recorded. Then, the results are compared with the theoretical solutions of a normal compliance model for a system comprised of two elastic particles bonded by a thin layer of visco-elastic binder. A closed-form time-dependent relationship between the contact forces and the relative particle/binder movements was developed. A reasonable agreement between experiments results and model predicted results is obtained combined with parametric analysis. / Master of Science