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DOI: 10.1007/s13369-015-1868-6

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Arab J Sci Eng
DOI 10.1007/s13369-015-1868-6
RESEARCH ARTICLE - SPECIAL ISSUE - CIVIL ENGINEERING
Properties of Heavyweight Concrete for Structural and Radiation
Shielding Purposes
Süleyman Özen1 · Cengiz Şengül2 · Teoman Erenoğlu3 · Üner Çolak4 ·
İskender Atilla Reyhancan4 · Mehmet Ali Taşdemi̇r2
Received: 16 March 2015 / Accepted: 5 October 2015
© King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals 2015
Abstract In applications of concrete for shielding against
hazardous radiation or for being used as counterweight, as
well as in various other applications that involve the use of
heavyweight concrete, the most significant method of mix
design involves the use of heavyweight aggregates. Concrete
mixes that were produced for this work contained iron ore,
steel mill scale, two types of barite, and steel slag, which
are the heavyweight aggregates available in Turkey. An addi-
tional heavyweight concrete mixture was also produced using
magnetite as a natural mineral heavyweight aggregate. In all
concrete mixes produced, water/cement ratio, cement con-
tent, and the maximum aggregate size of the aggregates
used were kept constant. In terms of the main mechanical
B Süleyman Özen
suleymanozen44@gmail.com
Cengiz Şengül
cengizsengul@yahoo.com
Teoman Erenoğlu
teoman.erenoglu@akcansa.com.tr
Üner Çolak
unercolak@itu.edu.tr
İskender Atilla Reyhancan
iareyhancan@itu.edu.tr
Mehmet Ali Taşdemi̇r
matasdemir@gmail.com
1 Civil Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Uludag
University, 16059 Nilufer, Bursa, Turkey
2 Civil Engineering Department, Civil Engineering Faculty,
Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Sarıyer, 34469
Istanbul, Turkey
3
Akçansa Cement Factory Technological Center,
Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey
4 Energy Institute, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak,
Sarıyer, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey
properties, the best performances were obtained when iron
ore was used, while the highest fracture energy values were
reached in concretes with steel mill scale, magnetite, or with
the combination of steel slag, iron ore, and crushed sand.
Another important objective of this research was to evaluate
the radiation shielding properties of heavyweight concretes
containing iron ore, steel mill scale, two types of barite, or
steel slag as aggregates. The experimental results showed that
the attenuation coefficient varied from 0.224 to 0.265 1/cm,
while the unit weight of heavyweight concrete was increased
from 3012 to 3820 kg/m3 . On the other hand, there is reason-
ably good agreement between theoretical and experimental
results of linear attenuation coefficients. It can be concluded
that the dominant factor in the determination of attenuation
coefficient is the unit weight of heavyweight concrete and
that the value of the coefficient is independent of the type of
heavyweight aggregate used.
Keywords Heavyweight concrete · High-density aggre-
gate · Counterweight concrete · Shielding radiation
1 Introduction
Nowadays, the use of radiation-emitting devices which
threaten human health has become widespread with the
recent developments in technology. For structures which
accommodate such devices, design requirements should take
into account not only the strength properties, but also the
adequate shielding properties against radiation. In the design
of these structures, the source of radiation should be prop-
erly isolated and appropriate shielding should be done in
order to protect the inhabitants from the adverse effects of
harmful rays. Therefore, a protected area against the harm-
ful effects should be created. The best method for generating
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such a field is placing a shielding member between the radi-
ation source and the medium exposed to the radiation [1].
Nowadays, materials having high specific gravity and radia-
tion shielding properties are used for this purpose. Lead and
heavyweight concrete having these characteristics are widely
used, among which heavyweight concrete is more preferable
especially in terms of cost. Heavyweight concrete is a type
of concrete having the property of high radiation shielding,
owing to its unit weight which is more than 2600 kg/m3 .
As the unit weight of the concrete increases, the shielding
performance against radiation increases.
Various aspects of heavyweight concretes have been inves-
tigated according to the needs and application areas of the
industry in the past. These investigations mostly focus on
how the mechanical and shielding properties of heavyweight
concretes change depending on the type of aggregate used.
Akyüz [2] made a design for concretes produced with barite
aggregate for shielding against gamma rays, and he car-
ried out a comprehensive study on these concretes. While
the amount of barite increased, strength did not improve,
but the shrinkage decreased. Substantial increase in barite
causes a rise in the linear attenuation coefficient. Coşkun [3]
also investigated properties of concretes produced by using
barite and the corresponding effects of this type of aggregate
on radiation shielding. He studied the physical properties of
concretes containing barite that have been designed to reach
both an adequate workability and the theoretically calculated
target radiation shielding. Kılınçarslan et al. [1] produced
concretes of three different strength classes C20, C30, and
C40 by using barite and conventional aggregate. Physical
and mechanical properties of these concrete samples were
investigated, and radiation attenuation coefficients were cal-
culated.
Oudo [4] aimed at producing high-performance heavy-
weight concrete providing radiological protection, structural
integrity, and durability. He prepared 15 concrete mixtures
using barite, magnetite, goethite, and serpentine as coarse
aggregate and added 10 % silica fume, 20 % fly ash, and
30 % blast-furnace slag in proportion to cement in each
mixture. He determined compressive strength for each mix-
ture at 7, 28, and 90 days. Radiation transmission tests
were performed by using gamma ray sources such as 137 Cs
and 60 Co radioactive elements, and linear attenuation coef-
ficients were obtained for mixtures. Experimental results
showed that high-performance heavyweight concrete includ-
ing magnetite coarse aggregate with 10 % silica fume had the
highest compressive strength and that the shielding efficiency
enhanced with increasing ratio of fine magnetite aggregate.
Ling and Poon [5] investigated potential use of recycled
cathode ray tube (CRT) funnel glass in concrete. Due to its
high density, it can be considered for use in the production
of heavyweight concrete. They used recycled CRT funnel
glass, both treated and untreated, and barite to produce heavy-
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Arab J Sci Eng
weight concrete. When barite aggregate and recycled funnel
glass were used instead of natural coarse and fine aggre-
gates, density of concrete increased significantly. However,
compressive strength and tensile splitting strength of con-
crete were reduced, and using barite in concrete mixture also
decreased the elastic modulus.
Ling and Poon [6] made a concrete design to investigate
high-temperature effects on heavyweight concrete contain-
ing barite and cathode ray tube funnel glass. They obtained
the mechanical properties of heavyweight concrete after
exposure to high temperature (25, 300, 500, 600, and 800 ◦ C).
At 25 ◦ C, barite concrete had higher density than granite
concrete (normal), but compressive strength was decreased
slightly. At 300 ◦ C, both density and strength were decreased
significantly compared to granite concrete. After 600 ◦ C,
explosive spalling occurred on surface of concrete speci-
mens.
Gonzales-Ortega et al. [7] evaluated behavior of concrete
mixtures including electric arc furnace (EAF) slags as aggre-
gates. They produced six concrete mixtures, four of which
were made using EAF slags, one was produced as conven-
tional concrete and the last one was designed as heavyweight
concrete with barite aggregates. Concrete produced with
EAF slag had compressive strength similar to that of con-
ventional concrete and higher compressive strength than that
of concrete with barite. Highest attenuation coefficient for
gamma rays was obtained for barite concrete, whereas the
lowest value was obtained for conventional concrete.
Monte and Gambarova [8] investigated the high-
temperature behavior of heavyweight concrete containing
barite. After a curing period of 3 years, they investigated the
compressive and tensile strength, modulus of elasticity after
heating and cooling, thermal diffusivity, and the porosity up
to 750 ◦ C. Barite concrete had favorable heat insulation prop-
erties, a slightly better compressive strength above 500 ◦ C,
similar splitting tensile strength, and lower elastic modulus
compared to ordinary concrete.
Alwaeli and Nadziakiewicz [9] studied using waste of iron
and steel industry such as steel chips and scale in concrete.
These waste materials were used as aggregate instead of sand
in different proportions (25, 50, 75, and 100 %). The com-
pressive strength and properties of gamma radiation shielding
of concrete containing steel chips and scale were investigated
and compared with conventional concrete. Result showed
that the compressive strength of concrete including steel
chips was higher than that of conventional concrete, but con-
crete containing over 25 % of scale had lower strength. Also,
addition of scale and steel chips waste improved the gamma
radiation absorption performance.
Gencel et al. [10] investigated gamma ray and neutron
shielding performance and mechanical strength of concrete
containing hematite. The compressive strength and gamma
ray attenuation performance of concrete increased with
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Arab J Sci Eng
addition of hematite. On the other hand, neutron shield-
ing performance did not change and was not affected with
increasing hematite content in concrete.
Ochbelagh et al. [11] investigated shielding properties and
compressive strength of concrete containing lead powder and
silica fume. With the addition of silica fume into concrete
mixtures instead of lead powder, the compressive strength
of concrete was increased, while the gamma ray shielding
properties were reduced.
Apart from the shielding applications, heavyweight con-
cretes are also used in the production of counterweight
members as catenary support in devices such as washing
machines. In addition, heavyweight concrete is utilized for
increasing the weight of immersed tubes constructed on the
seafloor.
This work aims at determining both the mechanical prop-
erties and the radiation shielding properties of heavyweight
concretes. The investigated mechanical properties include
compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength,
bending strength, and fracture energy. Understanding these
properties plays a crucial role for ensuring safe and reliable
use of heavyweight concretes in the construction of load-
carrying structural elements.
2 Research Significance
Heavyweight aggregates such as magnetite, barite, iron ore,
steel mill scale, and steel slag were used in concretes
produced for this experimental study. Following the inves-
tigation of physical properties of the aggregates, concrete
mixtures were produced for preliminary experiments. Design
properties and workabilities of the concretes were investi-
gated. Finally, concrete productions were carried out based
on the selected mixture proportions. Physical and mechanical
experiments were performed on concrete samples produced
with six different heavyweight aggregates, i.e., magnetite,
iron ore, steel mill scale, two types of barite, and steel slag. In
order to investigate the shielding properties, all concrete sam-
ples except those produced with magnetite aggregate were
irradiated by γ-ray emitted from a point source of cesium
(Cs-137) (at 662 KeV) and the corresponding linear attenu-
ations were found both theoretically and experimentally.
3 Materials and Methods
3.1 Materials
In this study, magnetite, iron ore, steel slag, steel mill scale,
and two types of barite (barite 1 and barite 2) were used in
the production of different types of heavyweight concretes.
Crushed sand was also used in concretes including steel slag.
The same type of cement (CEM I 42.5) was used in all mix-
tures, and water/cement ratio was kept constant. In addition,
superplasticizer was added to the mixtures to ensure worka-
bility.
In Turkey, steel mill scale, iron ore, and steel slag are
widely used in the production of counterweights for washing
machines. However, the magnetite is not common in the pro-
duction of these elements. The magnetite used in this study
was provided by the help of Metacore Co. importing from the
Netherlands. Two characteristics of the heavyweight aggre-
gates are of extreme importance. These are: (i) structural
characteristics: mechanical strength, non-mechanical char-
acteristics (density, grain shape, particle size distribution)
and surface characteristics; (ii) non-structural characteristics:
manufacturing characteristics and appearance.
3.1.1 Steel Mill Scale
Steel mill scale is formed during continuous casting and hot
rolling process of long products. It is an iron oxide-based
shell formed on steel surfaces in oxidizing conditions at
high temperatures. Shell thickness increases with increasing
temperature and time. Shell contains the oxides of elements
found in the composition of steel. As carbon in steel would
give off carbon dioxide gas during oxidation, carbon content
of steel mill scale is practically zero. Therefore, steel mill
scale is expected to contain roughly 1.0–2.0 % MnO, 0.5–
1.0 % SiO2 , and 95–98 % Fe2 O3 . The amount of steel mill
scale obtained from an iron and steel plant may reach up to
3 % of its steel production. There are two processes where
steel mill scale is created within a steel production site. These
by-products may be briefly summarized as follows.
3.1.1.1 Steel mill scale at the steel mill Scales that form
on the surface of the ingots produced in continuous cast-
ing machines are steel mill scales. These scales are pulled
away from the surface of the steel due to the “expan-
sion/contraction” differences during cooling of the ingots and
by friction and shocks that occur during transportation of the
ingots. Steel mill scales that aggregate within the site before
the furnace process are clean as they are not contaminated
with other materials. In other words, these scales are free
from oil, dust, and particles from the environment.
3.1.1.2 Steel mill scale at the rolling mill A second process
where scales are formed is the rolling mill. Ingots are heated
to milling temperatures in furnaces before rolling. Steel mill
scales form on steel surfaces during this process. Ingots
are then transferred from the furnace to the milling line
for milling. At the start of milling process, the scales are
cleaned/scrapped from steel surfaces using pressurized water.
These are the steel mill scales. These steel mill scales col-
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Arab J Sci Eng

Table 1 Chemical properties of the aggregates

Composition (%) Steel mill scale Iron ore Steel slag Crushed sand Barite 1 Barite 2 Magnetite

CaO – 26.25 3.74 52.59 – – –

SiO2 1.56 16.18 4.03 1.12 – – –
Al2 O3 – 2.33 2.17 – – – –
Fe2 O3 97.52 42.28 75.60 2.67 – – –
MgO – 4.28 2.13 0.25 – – –
K2 O 0.06 0.29 0.08 0.10 – – –
Na2 O 0.04 0.25 0.07 0.05 – – –
SO3 0.32 – – 0.45 – – –
BaSO4 – – – – 92.4 61.64 -
CaCO3 – – – – 1.5 19.38 -
Fe3 O4 – – – – – – 97.7
Loss on Ignition 5.14 6.13 11.48 42.74 6.1 18.98 2.3

lected at this site may be oily and dirty depending on the
environmental conditions.
Oil-free scales collected at the foundry constitute an
important issue. This is because oil disrupts the adherence
(bond) between the cement paste and aggregate in the con-
crete. Within a steel factory, the amount of steel mill scale
that is collected at the rolling mill is much more than the
amount that is collected prior to the annealing furnace.
The amount of steel mill scale that arrives at the counter-
weight manufacturing plant consists of a random mixture of
mostly rolling mill scale and partially steel mill scale. Scale
undergoes an extra sieving at the counterweight production
plant. This is because its long, flat, and flaky shape affects
the workability of the fresh concrete and also compressive
strength of counterweight concrete. However, during sieving
some of the particles that are plate-shaped (penny shape) and
are of high quality are retained on the sieve.
These materials that retain on the sieve are considered
clean and are of high quality. Mill scale quality is increased
as follows: (1) Steel mill scale aggregates within the steel mill
are stored separately. It can be processed with a crusher to a
suitable and functional size. Thus, all clean mill scales can be
utilized. (2) Mill scales are collected and stored separately,
and non-ferric contaminants are disposed to obtain a suitable
particle distribution. This would enable the two materials
to be mixed in suitable proportions to allow the maximum
particle packing of the concrete aggregate in terms of particle
distribution to yield a uniform and clean steel mill scale input
for the heavyweight concrete production.
3.1.2 Iron Ore
The most commonly used iron ore in practice is hematite
(Fe2 O3 ) containing a maximum of 70 % Fe. The following
physical properties of iron ore are essential for the production
of heavyweight concrete: (i) specific gravity and porosity, (ii)
strength, and (iii) maximum particle size and size distribu-
tion.
The amount of clay and silt contained in the iron ore that
is smaller than 63 microns is not expected to exceed 3 %
by volume. If 3 % of fine materials exceed 1 % by weight,
sand equivalent and methylene blue testing are performed,
provided that the material fineness is sand particle size. Sand
equivalent should be at least 70 %, and the methylene blue
value should not exceed 1.5.
3.1.3 Steel Slag
Steel slag is a by-product of steel production. Up to the date,
studies performed to utilize this slag as heavy aggregate have
been very limited. Major oxide compounds that may disrupt
the volume stability of counterweight concretes are MgO
and CaO. Undesirable consequences may arise if they are
utilized without adequate inspection. The major problem is
the disruption of volume stability of concrete. Furthermore,
requirements regarding the physical characteristics should
also be met. Total amount of MgO in steel slag should not
exceed 5 %. Steel slag should not contain fractures of refrac-
tory bricks. Moreover, secondary steel slag should not be
mixed with the steel slag.
The range of the densities of heavyweight aggregates was
as follows: steel mill scale (0–2, 2–4, and 4–8 mm): 4800 –
4960 kg/m3 , barite 1 and 2 (0–2, 1–2, 2–4, and 4–8 mm):
3940 - 4250 kg/m3 , iron ore (0–2, 2–4, and 4–8 mm): 4240-
4390 kg/m3 , magnetite (0–2 and 0–8 mm): 4730-5130 kg/m3 ,
steel slag (0–3 mm): 3600 kg/m3 . Oxide compositions of steel
mill scale, iron ore, steel slag, and crushed sand are given in
Table 1.
Water absorption capacity and density of randomly sam-
pled specimens were measured using ASTM C 128 test

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Table 2 Density and water

Types of aggregate Gradation (mm) Density (kg/m3 ) Water absorption (%)
absorption of aggregates in
mixtures Steel Mill Scale 0–2 4960 0.1
2–4 4800 0.4
4–8 4930 0.4
Barite 1 0–2 4060 0.8
1–2 4120 0.4
2–4 4250 0.3
2–8 4160 0.5
Barite 2 0–2 4080 0.3
2–4 4000 0.2
4–8 3940 0.2
Iron ore 0–2 4240 0.2
2–4 4330 0.1
4–8 4390 0.4
Magnetite 0–2 5130 0.3
0–8 4730 0.2
Steel slag 0–3 3600 0.3
Crushed sand 0–4 2700 1.0

method. Table 2 shows values of water absorption and density In Eq. 1, “D” shows the maximum aggregate size and “d”
of aggregates used in mixtures. Except for crushed limestone refers to any aggregate size between 0.25 and 8 mm. Grada-
sand, water absorptions of all heavyweight aggregates were tion curves for different types of aggregates and the Fuller
less than 0.8 %. parabola are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

3.2.2 Concrete Mixtures

3.2 Mixtures
3.2.1 Combined Aggregate Grading
All aggregates were used as dry surface-saturated condition.
Concretes produced were designated by the mixture codes of
CSM, CIO, CB1, CB2, CMA, and CSI. CSM and CIO show
the concretes produced with steel mill scale and iron ore,
respectively. CB1 and CB2 refer to the concretes produced
with the combinations of barite 1 and barite 2, respectively.
CMA expresses the concrete produced with magnetite, and
CSI is used to represent the concrete produced with combi-
nation of steel slag, iron ore, and crushed sand. Unlike other
concretes, iron ore was added to the last concrete mixture to
ensure the required unit weight, and crushed sand was added
for the sufficient workability of fresh concrete.
In the small-size prefabricated members, the maximum
aggregate size was kept constant and was limited to 8 mm
because coarse aggregates cause several problems regarding
the homogeneity [12]. For each type of aggregate, grading in
concrete mixtures was selected by taking Fuller parabola as
a reference curve. Fuller parabola was calculated as follows:

d attenuation coefficients of CSM, CIO, CB1, CB2, and CSI
P = 100 × (1)
D
In this study, heavyweight concrete mixtures were prepared
by using six different heavy aggregates of five different min-
eralogical origins. Crushed sand, as a conventional aggregate,
was used together with high contents of heavy aggregates
(steel slag and iron ore) in the last concrete mixture. A total
of six different concrete mixtures were produced. Cement
content and effective water/cement ratio were kept constant
for each concrete mixture. Total water/cement ratios of con-
crete mixtures vary depending on water absorption capacity
of aggregate. Effective water in concrete mixture is the water
in excess of that absorbed by the aggregates that also help
achieve the desired workability [13]. Superplasticizer was
also added in each mixture at different ratios to improve
workability of concrete. The mixture proportions of the con-
cretes produced are given in Table 3.
3.3 Experiments
3.3.1 Mechanical and Fracture Properties
At 72 days, compressive, splitting tensile and bending
strengths, moduli of elasticity, fracture energies, and linear
concretes were determined except for concrete CMA. Only

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Fig. 1 Combined grading

curves of aggregate with
maximum particle size of 8 mm,
and B1, and SI are barite 1 and
combination of steel slag, iron
ore, and crushed sand,
respectively

Fig. 2 Combined grading

curves of aggregates with
maximum particle size of 8 mm
SM, IO, B2 and MA are steel
mill scale, iron ore, barite 2, and
magnetite, respectively

Table 3 Mix proportions of

CMA CSM CIO CB1 CB2 CSI
concrete mixtures and fresh
concrete properties Cement (kg/m3 ) 551 546 559 550 550 551
Water (kg/m3 ) 154 153 156 154 154 154
Water/cement 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28
Superplasticizer (kg/m3 ) 16 20 18 15.36 16.5 40.9
Aggregate 0–2 mm (kg/m3 ) 1163 1243 1364 2028 1503 1571
Aggregate 2–4 mm (kg/m3 ) 870 902 696 552 305 228
Aggregate 4–8 mm (kg/m3 ) 1039 927 706 35 751 480
Concrete unit weight (kg/m3 ) 3793 3820 3447 3334 3278 3012
Air content (%) 3.30 4.7 2.26 3.52 3.58 5.62
Flow (cm) 40 50 47 60 60 50

compression and bending tests were carried out on CMA
where compressive and bending strengths, modulus of elas-
ticity, and fracture energy were determined.
For each type of concrete, compression tests were carried
out according to ASTM C 39 M using at least three cylin-
drical specimens having a diameter of 100 mm and height
of 200 mm. Modulus of elasticity for each concrete mixture
was calculated according to ASTM C 469 M from the stress–
strain curve up to the 35 % of maximum stress. Compressive
strengths and the moduli of elasticity of the different mixtures
are presented in Table 4.

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Table 4 Mechanical and fracture properties of concretes tested

Mixture code Cylinder compressive Modulus of Splitting tensile Bending strength Fracture energy Linear attenuation
strength (MPa) elasticity (GPa) strength (MPa) (MPa) (J/m2 ) coefficient (*) (1/cm)

CSM 78.6 42.0 6.9 9.2 156 0.265

CIO 130.8 60.8 8.4 10.7 101 0.255
CB1 79.1 33.9 4.9 6.0 72 0.244
CB2 57.9 34.5 3.8 5.0 81 0.239
CSI 98.4 51.4 7.2 9.5 159 0.224
CMA 80.7 51.0 – 8.0 156 –
(*) These values were obtained experimentally as explained in Paragraph 3.3.2

Fig. 3 Schematic
load–deflection at mid-span
curve (a), bending test setup (b)

Splitting tensile tests were also carried out according to
ASTM C 496 M using six disk specimens having a diameter
of 150 mm and height of 60 mm. Splitting tensile strength of
concretes was calculated using Eq. (2) as follows:
2×F
fct =
π ×L × D
The tests were performed under displacement control,
using INSTRON 5500R closed-loop testing machine having
a 100 kN capacity. During the experiment, the deflection was
obtained from an LVDT placed under the beam and the crack
mouth opening displacement (CMMOD) was measured by a
displacement transducer at the same time.
(2) The bending strength of notched beams for three-point
bending test was calculated as follows:

In this equation, fct is splitting tensile strength, F is fracture 3×P×L

force, L is loading strip length, and D is cross-sectional size
of the concrete sample. Splitting tensile strength values for
different mixtures are also given in Table 4.
Three-point bending tests were carried out on five beams
having 70 x 70 x 280 mm dimensions for each mixture.
Before the experiment, 28-mm-deep notches were cut at the
mid-span of each beam. The load-bearing section area was 70
x 42 mm2 , and the distance between supports was 220 mm.
Fnet = (3)
2 × B × (H − a)2
In this equation P, L, B, H, and a are maximum load span,
effective span, beam width, beam height, and notch depth,
respectively (Fig. 3).
Fracture energy (GF ) is the energy required to form a crack
of unit area on a plane parallel to the crack direction [14],
and its unit is N/m or Joule/m2 . Values of fracture energy

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Fig. 4 Typical load–crack mouth opening displacement curves for concretes investigated
were calculated from the area under load–deflection curve
in accordance with the method proposed by RILEM TC 50-
FMC [14] using Eq. (4) as follows:
W0 + m.g. δ0
GF =
Alig
In this equation, W0 is the area under load–deflection curve
(N/m), m is the weight of the span between beam supports
(N), g is gravitational acceleration, δ0 is the deflection of
beam at collapse, and Alig is the effective cross-sectional
area of the notched beam (Alig = (H-a).b).
The experimental results obtained from the mechanical
tests are summarized in Table 4.
The load–crack mouth opening displacement curves
obtained from testing of different concrete mixtures are pre-
sented in Fig. 4.
3.3.2 Radiation Transmission Experiments
Radiation transmission experiments were carried out on con-
crete specimens produced with five different aggregates, and
linear attenuation coefficients (μ) were investigated. For this
purpose, 6-, 15-, 21-, and 30-cm-thick specimens were used
for each concrete mixture. Radiation transmissions of the
specimens exposed to γ-ray were measured. 137 Cs radioiso-
tope (cesium-137) was used as the γ-ray source. Cesium-137
radioisotope radiates photons having 662 keV energy. γ
spectroscopy analysis was carried out with high-purity ger-
manium detector (HpGe) (Fig. 5a). Photons were counted on
PC by using Genie 2000 program. Linear attenuation coef-
ficients of each concrete mixture were calculated using Eq.
(5) as follows:
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Arab J Sci Eng
ln (I0 /I)
μ= (5)
x
In this equation, μ is linear attenuation coefficient, I0 is
counted value when there is no concrete between radioac-
(4) tive source and detector, I is counted value when there
are specimens of concrete with different thickness between
radioactive source and detector, and x is thickness of con-
crete specimen exposed to radiation. Radiation transmission
experiment is shown in Fig. 5b.
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 Mechanical Properties
Table 4 presents the strength properties, moduli of elasticity,
and fracture energies of concretes produced. As seen in this
table, cylinder compressive strengths of concretes with steel
mill scale, barite 1, and magnetite are almost identical, which
are slightly lower than that of the concrete with the combina-
tion of steel slag, iron ore, and crushed limestone. Concrete
mixture CIO which contains iron ore has the highest com-
pressive strength compared to the others (CSM, CMA, and
CSI) containing Fe2 O3 or Fe3 O4 . Although the amount of
Fe2 O3 in CIO is lower than those of CSM and CSI, clean
interfaces between the hardened cement paste and the aggre-
gate and also the regular shape of iron ore may play positive
roles in high value of compressive strength in CIO. In addi-
tion, the irregular shape of Fe3 O4 particles in CMA may play
a negative role in its compressive strength, similarly to those
of concretes CSM and CSI containing the irregular shape
of Fe2 O3 particles. As seen in the same table, compressive
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Arab J Sci Eng
Fig. 5 High-purity germanium
detector (HpGe) (a), radiation
transmission experiment (b)
strength of CB1 is higher than that of CB2 due to the increase
of BaSO4 in CB1.
Compressive strengths of barite concretes (CB1 and CB2)
obtained in this study are higher than the available test results
in the literature [2,3,5,7] for the same type of heavyweight
aggregates. Main reason in these differences can be attributed
to very low water/cement ratio in concretes of this research.
The other factors, such as curing time and quality of the
barite, may play important roles in the differences mentioned.
Compressive strengths of concretes with recycling of scale
and steel chips [9] are also low compared to those of concretes
with steel mill scale and steel slag in this work. Similarly,
compressive strengths of magnetite concretes in [4] are also
lower than that of CMA due to the same reasons.
As seen in Table 4, concretes containing Fe2 O3 or Fe3 O4
aggregates have higher elastic moduli for concretes CSM,
CIO, and CSI. However, concretes with barite (CB1 and
CB2) have almost identical elastic moduli. In general, the dif-
ference between the highest (CIO) and lowest (CB1 or CB2)
values of the modulus of elasticity is about 79 %. When the
aggregate and the cement paste are individually subjected to
uniaxial compression, they exhibit an almost linear stress–
strain relationship up to the peak stress. Concrete, however,
shows an inelastic behavior due to interfaces between the
hardened cement paste and the aggregate. In concretes CIO
and CB1, reduction in the differences between the highest and
lowest values of the modulus of elasticity may be attributed
to the better interfacial zone in CIO. In barite concretes (CB1
and CB2), low values of elastic moduli may depend on the
mismatch between the two phases (i.e., hardened cement
paste and the aggregate).
As seen in Fig. 6, there is an expected relation between the
compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity for heavy
weight concretes in this study. Results obtained in this work
show that the higher the compressive strength, the higher the
modulus of elasticity of concrete depending on the elastic
moduli of aggregates. High elastic modulus of aggregate may
also play an important role in the modulus of elasticity of
concretes containing iron ore, magnetite, and combination
of steel slag and iron ore.
Table 4 shows that concretes (CSM, CIO, and CSI) con-
taining Fe2 O3 have higher splitting and bending strengths
compared to those of barite concretes (CB1 and CB2). Sim-
ilarly, the presence of Fe2 O3 in iron ore concrete (CIO) is a
possible reason for the higher bending strength compared to
those of concretes with barite (CB1 and CB2).
As seen in the same table, high values of mechanical prop-
erties such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity,
splitting tensile and bending strengths, and high fracture
energies were obtained in concretes containing steel mill
scale, magnetite, iron ore, and steel slag compared to espe-
cially those of concretes with barite 2. Depending on the
BaSO4 content, there is substantial difference between com-
pressive strengths of concretes with barite 1 and barite 2;
however, there is no significant change in their elastic mod-
uli.
4.2 Mechanical Behavior and Fracture Energy
As seen in Fig. 4, in concretes CIO, CSM, CMA, and CSI
containing Fe2 O3 or Fe3 O4 , the softening responses of the
load– crack mouth opening displacement curves have longer
tails than those of barite concretes (CB1 and CB2). Concrete
CIO, however, has a greater peak load, steeper gradient of the
softening branch with corresponding lower final displace-
ment value, and short tail compared to those of the others
containing Fe2 O3 . High reduction in both peak loads and
descending branches is typical in concretes with barite (i.e.,
CB1 and CB2). Similar results were obtained for the load–
deflection at mid-span curves for the concretes investigated
in this work.
Fracture energies of concretes with steel mill scale, mag-
netite, iron ore, and steel slag are higher than those of barite
1 and barite 2 concretes. This difference may be due to the
123
 Author's personal copy
Fig. 6 Relation between
compressive strength and the
moduli of elasticity of the
mixtures
Fig. 7 Relation between the
unit weight and the linear
attenuation coefficient of
concrete tested
presence of Fe2 O3 or Fe3 O4 in these concretes. In the litera-
ture, fracture energies of normal and high- strength concretes
(NSC and HSC) vary in the ranges of 100–120 and 100–130
J/m2 , respectively [15–17]. It is known that there are several
factors affecting fracture energy of concrete. Some of main
factors are water/binder ratio, type and content of binder,
and type, size, content, and surface properties of aggregate
used. The experimental technique used in the determination
of fracture energy of concrete is also another important para-
meter. As seen in Table 4, the fracture energy of CIO can
be considered an identical value to those of lower limits of
both NSC and HSC. However, fracture energies of CSM,
CSI, and CMA lie between those of NSC and HSC. On
the other hand, fracture energies of barite concretes (CB1
and CB2) are rather low compared to those of NSC and
HSC. The low value of maximum particle size (i.e., 8 mm)
in these concretes may be another reason for the low fracture
energy.
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Arab J Sci Eng
4.3 Linear Attenuation Coefficients
As seen in Fig. 7, the linear attenuation coefficient increases
with increasing the unit weight of concrete. It is clear that
most important factor affecting the linear attenuation coeffi-
cient of concrete is the unit weight. Depending on the unit
weight and thickness of heavyweight concrete, similar trends
were obtained by the other researchers [2,4,7,9].
In this work, the theoretical linear attenuation coefficients
of concretes were calculated using XCOM online database
[18]. Calculations were performed based on the chemical
compositions of the constituents for each concrete. The
experimental and theoretical linear attenuation coefficients
obtained for different mixtures are shown in Fig. 7. They
are in reasonably good agreement. The theoretical values are
slightly above the experimental results. Slight variations may
be originated from the use of finite size of slabs in experi-
ments and inhomogeneities and uncertainties associated with
compositions and densities.
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Arab J Sci Eng
The test results also show that the radiation transmission
decreases with increasing concrete thickness for all mixtures.
Similar results are obtained in reference 4. It can be con-
cluded that there is an inverse relation between the linear
attenuation coefficient and radiation transmission. In other
words, as the thickness of concrete increases, the linear atten-
uation coefficient increases and the radiation transmission
decreases.
5 Conclusions
Based on the results obtained in this study, the following
conclusions can be drawn:
Cylindrical compressive strength of the concretes contain-
ing iron ore is significantly higher than those of all the other
mixtures. Compressive strength of the concrete mixture pro-
duced with iron ore and steel slag is also high compared to
the rest of the mixtures except the mixture with only iron ore
aggregates. The presence of Fe2 O3 or Fe3 O4 in concretes
with iron ore, magnetite, steel mill scale, and steel slag may
play an important role in high values of compressive strength.
Concrete containing barite 2 aggregate gave the lowest com-
pressive strength among all mixtures.
Depending on the type of aggregate, the change in mod-
ulus of elasticity has a similar trend as in the compressive
strength. Modulus of elasticity of concrete produced with
iron ore was the highest. Moduli of elasticity of concretes
containing barite aggregates were significantly lower than
those of the others. Compressive strength of concrete with
barite 1 is higher than that of barite 2 due to increase of BaSO4
in CB1 compared to CB2; however, within the limits of this
study, there is no significant effect of BaSO4 content on their
elastic moduli. Their elastic moduli are almost identical.
Similarly, the splitting tensile strengths of concretes pro-
duced with iron ore are higher than the other mixtures.
As seen in the other mechanical properties, concretes pro-
duced with barite (CB1 and CB2) have lower splitting tensile
strengths. Concrete with barite 1, which has a density higher
than that of barite concrete 2, has a comparatively higher
splitting tensile strength.
Bending strengths of concretes produced with iron ore are
higher than the others. As in the compressive and splitting
tensile strengths, concretes containing barite aggregates have
the lowest bending strength values.
Compared to barite concretes, the mixtures with the other
aggregates have longer tails in softening part of load–crack
mouth opening displacement curves. However, concrete with
iron ore has a steeper gradient of softening branch with corre-
sponding lower final displacement value in comparison with
the other mixtures containing Fe2 O3 . High reductions in both
peak loads and descending branches have been obtained for
the barite concretes.
Concretes produced with steel mill scale and magnetite as
well as the concretes containing a combination of steel slag,
iron ore, and crushed sand have higher fracture energies and
therefore absorb more energy during their fractures compared
to the other mixtures.
The radiation transmission decreases with increasing
concrete thickness for all concrete mixtures as expected.
The linear attenuation coefficient increases with increas-
ing unit weight of concrete. There is reasonably a good
agreement between theoretical and experimental attenuation
coefficients. Therefore, effectiveness of concrete mixtures as
radiation shielding is directly related to the density of con-
crete. However, the strength and shielding characteristics are
not directly correlated. Therefore, an optimum choice must
be made depending on the specific application.
Acknowledgments This research was performed at Istanbul Tech-
nical University (ITU). The first author wishes to acknowledge the
scholarship provided by TCMA (Turkish Cement Manufacturer’s Asso-
ciation) during his MS study. Chemical analysis of heavyweight
aggregates used and production of heavyweight concretes were real-
ized in Akçansa-Betonsa Technological Center. Arçelik A. Ş. supported
the related research activities on counterweight concretes made with
heavyweight aggregates. The authors acknowledge the materials sup-
port given by Mr. Hüseyin Küle (Uğur Beton), Mr. Ulucan Gerçek
(ADO), Mr. Mustafa Erdoğan and Mr. Haldun Lütfullahoğlu (İMECE),
Aydınlar Madencilik Ltd. Şti., and Ms. Arzu Cantekin (METACORE).
The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Mrs. Ayda Şafak Ağar
Özbek for her valuable suggestions during the preparation of the paper.
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