High Alkali-Silica Reactivity Values from New York and Connecticut Trap Rock Quarries and their Implications

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1 High Alkali-Silica Reactivity Values from New York and Connecticut Trap Rock Quarries and their Implications by Ryan M. Rathbun and Paul A. Hanczaryk Photo: Haverstraw, NY quarry in Palisades Sill (igneous) NJDOT - Bureau of Materials Trenton, NJ

and silica from aggregates in the presence of moisture.

2 ASR is a form of distress that causes premature deterioration of concrete structures. ASR is the result of a chemical reaction in concrete between hydroxl ions (OH-) from the cement or mortar (alkalis), and silica from aggregates in the presence of moisture. The product of this reaction is an expansion gel that can swell in the presence of water and produce cracking within structures. Photo: City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering Photo:

3 The following minerals are considered reactive: Opal Chalcedony Cristobalite Tridymite Rhyolite Microcrystalline quartz Volcanic glass Soluble Silica in Aggregates Opal Chalcedony Rhyolite Andesite Based on above, the following aggregates are expected to be deleteriously reactive: Cherts Siliceous limestones Siliceous dolomites Tuffs Shales Fractured, strained quartz and quartzites Volcanic Glass Quartzite Greywacke Quartz Sand Dissolved Silica (mm/l) Chart adopted from FHWA Alkali-Aggregates Reactivity Facts Book

4 Poorly crystalline silica materials react rapidly and may cause damaging reaction in a few years in amounts as little as 1%. Varieties of quartz such as microcrystalline or strained quartz react more slowly than poorly crystalline and amorphous forms. Photo:

5 To determine the reactivity potential of aggregates the following test methods are recognized: ASTM C Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Cement- Aggregate Combinations (Mortar-Bar Method) ASTM C 289 Standard Test Method for Potential Reactivity of Aggregates (Chemical Method) ASTM C 295 Standard Guide for Petrographic Examination of Aggregates for Concrete ASTM C 1260 Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar-Bar Method) NJDOT determines the potential for alkali-silica reactivity in aggregates for concrete according to AASHTO T303 which is similar in scope to ASTM C 1260.

Test results show whether an aggregate is potentially reactive, but not that it will react

6 Developed in South Africa by the National Building Research Institute to address the limitations of other methods. T 303 is considered a severe test method. Test results show whether an aggregate is potentially reactive, but not that it will react deleteriously in field concrete. Can identify the potential slowly-reactive aggregates that other methods do not.

7 Per section of the NJDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, aggregates used in concrete that produce an expansion of 0.1 percent or more according to AASHTO T 303 are classified as potentially reactive, and the use of such aggregates requires remediation. The NJDOT Bureau of Materials performs quality assurance testing of new and existing aggregate sources to quantify potential reactivity of aggregates. Since 1997, the testing records have been compiled in the NJDOT Aggregate Production Database, and includes analyses of various rock types (i.e. carbonates, trap rocks, argillites, granites, gneisses, etc.) found within the Mid-Atlantic region. A review of the ASR data revealed an atypical observation in regards to trap rocks.

8 Quarry Location Rock Type Formation Date T-303 Compliance Birdsboro, PA trap rock Triassic 1/10/ Pass Dracut, MA trap rock Dracut diorite 10/17/ Pass Birdsboro, PA trap rock Triassic 1/6/ Pass Scotch Plains, NJ trap rock Orange Mt. 3/31/ Pass Belle Mead, NJ trap rock 1/15/ Pass Westfield, MA trap rock Holyoke 3/29/ Pass Bealeton, VA trap rock 12/5/ Pass West Nyack, NY trap rock 11/16/ Remediate West Nyack, NY trap rock 9/15/ Remediate West Nyack, NY trap rock 9/15/ Remediate Oldwick, NJ trap rock Orange Mt. 10/19/ Pass Narvon, PA trap rock Triassic 9/13/ Pass Bound Brook, NJ trap rock Orange Mt. 9/23/ Pass Bound Brook, NJ trap rock Orange Mt. 9/23/ Pass Bound Brook, NJ Orange Mt. trap rock 6/21/ Remediate Bound Brook,NJ trap rock Orange Mt 3/31/ Remediate Haledon, NJ trap rock Preakness 2/3/ Pass Quarry Location Rock Type Formation Date T-303 Compliance New Britain, CT trap rock Holyoke 4/6/ Remediate New Britain, CT trap rock Holyoke 6/29/ Remediate Clifton, NJ trap rock Orange Mt. 12/17/ Pass Millington, NJ trap rock Hook Mt. 10/29/ Remediate Millington, NJ trap rock Hook Mt. 4/27/ Pass Prospect Park, NJ Orange Mt. trap rock 3/30/ Remediate Prospect Park, NJ Orange Mt. trap rock 7/12/ Remediate Haverstraw, NY trap rock 11/16/ Remediate Haverstraw, NY trap rock 9/15/ Remediate Haverstraw, NY trap rock 9/15/ Remediate Haverstraw, NY trap rock 5/23/ Remediate Haverstraw, NY trap rock 10/16/ Remediate Kingston, NJ trap rock 2/5/ Pass Moores Station, NJ trap rock 6/21/ Pass Pennington, NJ trap rock 1/4/ Pass Pennington, NJ trap rock 11/30/ Pass Manassas, VA trap rock Sanders 4/23/ Pass Note: Data from NJDOT Aggregate Production Database

Bound Brook, NJ (JOrMtb) 9. Belle Mead, NJ (Jd) 10. Kingston, NJ (Jd) 5 4 3 2 11. Lambertville, NJ (Jd) 12.

9 Key Rock Type 1. New Britain, CT (JHlyb) 2. Haverstraw, NY (Jd) 3. W. Nyack, NY (Jd) J J 1 4. Prospect Prk., NJ (JPrb) 5. Haledon, NJ (JOrMtb) 6. Millington, NJ (JHkMtb) 7. Watchung, NJ (JOrMtb) 8. Bound Brook, NJ (JOrMtb) 9. Belle Mead, NJ (Jd) 10. Kingston, NJ (Jd) Lambertville, NJ (Jd) 12. Pennington, NJ (Jd) 13. Moore s Sta., NJ (Jd) 14. Birdsboro, PA (Jd) 15. Gibraltar, PA (Jd) 16. Silver Hill, PA (Jd)

10 Key (VA quarries) 17. Manassas, VA (Jd) 18. Sanders, VA (Jb) 19. Bealeton, VA (Jd)

11 Under typical conditions, trap rocks are not considered to be potentially reactive. Review of the data indicated elevated ASR values for trap rocks in NY, CT, and northern NJ. This can be potentially problematic as there are numerous trap rock sources within the Mid-Atlantic.

Several flows (horizontal yellow lines) are evident and were later cross cut by typical Newark Basin high angled faults (vertical blue lines).

12 Trap Rocks Trap Rock is from the Scandanavian root language word trappa, meaning steps and/or stairs (Source: U.S.G.S.). 2 nd flow 3 rd flow Right Photo: Mostly unweathered in entablature above base of quarry floor, Orange Mt. Basalt (oldest unit), south face, Watchung, NJ (11/22/2013). Several flows (horizontal yellow lines) are evident and were later cross cut by typical Newark Basin high angled faults (vertical blue lines). 1 st flow Basalt Diabase Left Photo: Diabase quarry in Kingston, NJ. Diabase is a homogeneous igneous intrusive, that is slower cooling yielding larger crystals relative to ; essentially an exposed and cooled part of the upper mantle. Both and are geochemically similar and contemporaneous, mostly differing in cooling history.

13 Right Figure: Unweathered hand specimens of typical extrusive middle entablature (left) and intrusive, slower cooling, larger crystal (right). Both rock types are geochemically similar and contemporaneous, mostly differing in cooling history. Basalt Diabase

DuringtheLateTriassic,North America began to experience tensional forces that resulted in the development of a series of fault-bounded troughs along the eastern coast from Nova Scotia to North

14 DuringtheLateTriassic,North America began to experience tensional forces that resulted in the development of a series of fault-bounded troughs along the eastern coast from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. As Pangea began to break apart many graben-type valleys formed along preexisting fault systems along the Atlantic Margin. By the early, the continued breakup of the continents facilitated rift-basin style volcanism along the Atlantic Margin. Photo:

15 Figures:

16 It has been indicated that where the silica content exceeds 50%, may be potentially reactive. Another key factor in determining alkali-reactivity is the presence of microcrsytalline quartz. It has been suggested that the presence of 20% of strained quartz in a rock would develop a significant reaction. Additionally, there is a consensus that the presence of volcanic glass is the principal reactive component of certain igneous rocks.

17 ASR Values as a Function of Silica Content % Silica (as SiO2) Birdsboro Belle Meade Scotch Plains West Nyack Oldwick Narvon Bound Brook Haledon Millington Prospect Park Haverstraw Kingston Moores Station Alkali-Silica Reactivity Note: Data from NJDOT Aggregate Production Database

18 Quarry Location Rock Type Formation Date T-303 Compliance West Nyack, NY Bound Brook, NJ New Britain, CT Millington, NJ Prospect Park, NJ Haverstraw, NY Kingston, NJ trap rock trap rock trap rock trap rock trap rock trap rock trap rock Orange Mt. Holyoke Hook Mt. Orange Mt. 11/16/ Remediate 9/23/ Pass 4/6/ Remediate 4/27/ Remediate 3/30/ Remediate 10/16/ Remediate 2/5/ Pass Note: Data from NJDOT Aggregate Production Database ASR values of aggregate source with more than one value were averaged in order to determine an arithmetic mean of the quarry. This removes the bias toward trap rock sources with only one reported value.

19 To further investigate the potential causes of ASR, trap rock specimens were obtained for thin section analysis. Two thin sections were analyzed from each location. The Kingston, NJ trap rock quarry was utilized as a control based on the consistent low ASR values. Samples were obtained from the following trap rock sources: Kingston, NJ Watchung, NJ West Nyack, NY Haverstraw, NY New Britain, CT

It is distinguished by the distorted extinction angles.

20 Photo: Strained quartz (dark grey mineral) was identified in the above photo, located approximately in the center of the circle. It is distinguished by the distorted extinction angles. Photo: Strained quartz (light grey mineral) was identified in the above photo, located approximately in the center of the circle.

21 Thin section analysis identified the presence of strained quartz within both samples from Haverstraw, NY and one sample from West Nyack, NY. While strained quartz was identified, the analysis has been cursory and further review will be necessary to determine the potential percentages of strained quartz. Furthermore, strained quartz was not identified in any other thin sections but at this time it would be premature to determine that strained quartz is not present without additional analysis.

22 There exists trap rock sources within NY and CT with anomalously high ASR values (compared to expected ASR values). There exists strained quartz within 2 of the trap rock sources with high ASR values. There is the potential that these high ASR values are related to the presence of strained quartz. More research is necessary to determine potential reality of this relationship. More data is needed in both the form of ASR performance testing, and thin section petrographic analysis.

23 Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank for their various help and contributions to this study, both recently and over the years, the following individuals and organizations: Ron Pristas of the New Jersey Geological Survey (D.E.P.), plant manager Robert Robbie Robertson of Fanwood Crushed Stone and the QC Department at Fanwood Crushed Stone, Mike Jopko of Trap Rock Industries, Inc., and Warren Cummings, NJDOT, (ret.).

24 The End Haledon, NJ quarry in Preakness (12/13/2013)

Aggregates for Concrete

Aggregates for Concrete Fine Aggregate Sand and/or crushed stone < 5 mm (0.2 in.) F.A. content usually 35% to 45% by mass or volume of total aggregate Coarse Aggregate Gravel and crushed stone 5 mm (0.2 in.) typically between