I have a select control that I want to disable dynamically based on a condition:
this.activityForm = this.formBuilder.group({
  docType: [{ value: \'2\', disable         
        Since I don't know how you're manipulating activeCategory (maybe it's also a FormControl?), I'll suggest the following approach:
You can use (change) to detect when this.activeCategory has changed, as below:
1 - If you're using ngModel:
<input type="text" [(ngModel)]="activeCategory" (change)="checkValue($event)">
2 - If it's a FormControl:
<input type="text" formControlName="activeCategory" (change)="checkValue($event)">
So, in component, you can manipulate the docType control using disable/enable methods:
checkValue(event: Event) {
  const ctrl = this.activityForm.get('docType');
  if (event.value === 'document') {
    ctrl.enable();
  } else {
    ctrl.disable();
  }
}
you can use ternary operator here to disable form control conditionally.
this.activityForm = this.formBuilder.group({
docType: [{ value: '2', disabled: this.activeCategory != 'document' ? true : false }, Validators.required]
});
from .ts file you can add keys to yours from controls, and there you add the item disabled:true (desactivate form item) or false (activate form item)
.ts
public form_name=new FormGroup({
              series: new FormControl({value: '', disabled: true}),
              inten: new FormControl({value: '', disabled: true}),
              rep: new FormControl({value: '', disabled: true}),
              rest: new FormControl({value: '', disabled: false}),
              observation: new FormControl({value: '', disabled: false}),
  });
.html
<form  [formGroup]="form_name" >
                                          <label for="series"  >Series</label>
                                           <input type="text" formControlName="series" >
                                          <label for="inten"  >Inten</label>
                                           <input type="text" formControlName="inten" >
                                          <label for="rep"  >Rep</label>
                                           <input type="text" formControlName="rep" >
                                           <label for="rest"  >rest</label>
                                            <textarea formControlName="rest" rows="3" cols="30" ></textarea>
                    </form>
You have to handle select elements differently than you do other HTML elements. You will have to perform a reset when this.activeCategory changes. 
Something like this:
this.activityForm.controls['docType'].reset({ value: '2', disabled: false });
Of course, you will probably want to use the current value, rather than a hard coded '2'.
Same sort of thing to disable it, if that need arises (and it probably will).
this.activityForm.controls['docType'].reset({ value: '2', disabled: true });
More information on ng form control reset.
this.activityForm.controls['docType'].disable();