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Orca Quarry

Polaris has targeted northern California as the initial market for construction aggregates from the Orca Quarry. Extensive product testing by independent laboratories has confirmed that the Orca products are very high quality aggregates for use in concrete and exceed all specification requirements for California, as specified by the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS), or in the USA generally as specified by the American Society for the Testing of Materials (ASTM). Polaris has secured a long-term sales commitment to supply an established ready-mix concrete producer in the San Francisco Bay area and anticipates gaining access to other coastal US markets.		Scraper offloading into dump hopper
Specifications Three products will be available from Polaris' Orca Sand & Gravel Quarry, two gravel sizes and a concrete sand:  1. Type 57 Gravel ASTM Type 57 1" x #4 (25mm x 4.75 mm)  2. Type 7 Gravel ASTM Type 7 ½" x #4 (12.5 mm x 4.75 mm)  3. Concrete Sand ASTM C33 Mean Fineness Modulus 2.75 Test Results Aggregate Testing Testing of basic properties, including petrographic analysis was carried out at the independent laboratories of AMEC Earth & Environmental and Golder Associates in Vancouver, BC. The testing of bulk samples from the Orca Quarry, for performance in concrete mixes, was carried out by Dynamic Consultants Inc. at their laboratory in Mountain View, California. The results of the test verified that Orca sand and gravel are premium quality materials whose properties exceed all California (CALTRANS) and national ASTM specifications for use in concrete. Summary of Test Results  Property Test Protocol   Orca S & G   Compliance   Limit1    Specific Gravity (kg/m3) ASTM C127   2.87   -    Absorption (%) ASTM C127   0.53   -    Los Angeles Abrasion (%) ASTM C535   5.0   Max. 45 %    Magnesium Sulphate  Soundness (%) ASTM C88   < 1.0   Max. 15 %    Alkali Reactivity (ASR) ASTM C227   No Potential   -    Cleanness Value CTM 227   95   Min. 75   Note: 1.  Compliance limits are either from Caltrans' Standard Specification 1999 or ASTM. A test certificate for the Orca material is available showing the result of the long term (12 month) testing for alkali silica reactivity in accordance with ASTM C227. Concrete Mix tests Two concrete mixes were batched, a "5-sack" mix with ordinary Portland cement and a second mix with 15% of the cement replaced by fly ash, the nominal strength of each was 3,000 psi at 28 days. A water reducing admixture, which is commonly used in the San Francisco Bay area, was added. Water was added with a target of producing a 3 inch slump. In addition to compressive strength the drying shrinkage of each mix was measured using the ASTM C157 (modified) test procedure with the results evaluated against the Structural Engineers of California guidelines "Concrete Specifications Controlling Drying Shrinkage, 1979". Both mixes using Polaris' Orca Quarry aggregates produced results within the "Low Shrinkage" category, a very important factor in California ready mixed concrete markets. Full test certificates are available for each of the mixes. Summary of Concrete Mix Tests  Aggregate Mix Slump   Inches   PFA   Admix.   28 Day   Strength   % Drying   Shrinkage1    Orca coarse & fine 2½   0   MB322N   6,020   0.033    Orca coarse & fine 2½   15%   MB322N   5,620   0.035   Note: 1.  Drying Shrinkage values equal to, or less than, 0.036% are Low Shrinkage.

Data Sheets
	Material Safety Data Sheet June 1, 2008 Download Acrobat PDF File (142 KB)