National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the potential for deleterious Alkali Silica Reactivity (ASR) in the state of Montana. In connection with this goal, (1) a literature review was conducted to summarize the ASR practices used by various state departments of transportation, as well as several federal agencies, (2) potential cases of ASR damage in the state were identified and investigated, and (3) existing testing methods were used to test the reactivity of several aggregate sources throughout Montana. It was found that the neighboring Canadian provinces and all investigated states (sans North Dakota), directly address ASR in their material specifications, to varying degrees. Overall, while there is not an overwhelming amount of evidence of ASR being a major problem in Montana, this research clearly demonstrated the potential for deleterious ASR in the state. Several sites around the state showed distress from ASR, and all of the tested aggregates showed some reactivity.