New jersey's carbonate rock study was undertaken to develop a procedure to evaluate local sources for potential alkali carbonate reaction. Laboratory tests were performed on rock samples obtained fromeight local sources with unknown reactive characteristics and threecontrol samples with well-known reactive characteristics. The screening criteria described in the paper identified the known reactive sources, and also indicated that some local sources are potentially reactive at higher alkali levels. It is recommended that use of carbonate aggregate be conditioned on demonstrated nonreactivity under the described battery of tests. As a precautionary measure, low-alkalicement (alkali levels less than 0.7%) Should be used with carbonaterock aggregate to mitigate the effect of any failure to detect aggregate reactivity. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1301, Factors affecting properties and performance of pavements and bridges 1991.
Abstract