Heavyweight Concrete

Heavyweight Concrete

Heavyweight concrete is mainly used for radiation protection. The critical properties of a heavyweight concrete are:

• Homogeneous density and spatial closeness of the concrete
• Free from cracks and honeycombing
• Compressive strength is often only a secondary criterion due to the large size of the structure
• As free from air voids as possible
• Keep shrinkage low

Composition

• Aggregate

–       Use of barytes, iron ore, heavy metal slags, ferrosilicon, steel granules or shot

• Cement

–       Allow for hydration heat development when selecting the cement type and content

• Water content

–       Aim for a low water/cement ratio

• Workability

–       To ensure a fully closed concrete matrix, careful consideration should be given to the placing (compaction).

• Curing

–       Allowance must be made in the curing method for the high heat develop-ment due to the likely large mass of the structure.