Literature Review of the Effects of Radiation and Temperature on the Aging of Concrete

Abstract

The open literature and accessible United States Department of Energy-sponsored reports were reviewed for the effects of radiation and temperature on concrete. No effects of radiation were found for exposures less than 10 10 neutron/cm 2 or 10 10 Gy gamma for periods less than 50 years. Reductions in compressive and tensile strength and a marked increase in volume are reported for exposures greater than 10 20 neutron/cm 2 or 10 10 rads of gamma. There are conflicting reports of damage for doses in the middle ranges. v SUMMARY Concrete has been used in the construction of nuclear facilities because of two primary properties, its structural strength and its ability to shield radiation. Concrete structures have been known to last for hundreds of years, but they are also known to deteriorate in very short periods of time. The use of concrete in nuclear facilities for containment and shielding of radiation and radioactive materials has made its performance crucial for the safe operation of the facility. The accessible literature was searched for reports on the effects of radiation and temperature on concrete deterioration.The effects of low doses, <10 10 neutron/cm 2 or <10 10 Gy gamma, of radiation over periods of less than 50 years do not seem to have a significant effect on the concrete. Longer-term exposure, over 100 years, has not been studied.

Effect of elevated temperature on strain-hardening engineered cementitious composites

“…The concrete is constantly subjected to aging and deterioration under combined thermochemo-hygro-mechanical effects, which often cause chemical and physical alteration of the concrete and result in excessive cracking, spalling and loss of strength [1,2]. SNF storage concrete is also susceptible to severely elevated temperatures during accident conditions and extreme events, which can lead to catastrophic fracture failure [3,4].…”

Managing aging effects on dry cask storage systems for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuel - rev. 0

“…The following description of the TN dry storage casks is based on the USNRC Safety Evaluation Report for TN-32 (USNRC 1996) and the TN Safety Analysis Reports for TN-32 (Transnuclear Inc. 2002, 2004 and TN-68 (Transnuclear Inc. 2005). …”

“…For normal operation or any other long-term period, Subsection CC-3400 of ASME Section III, Division 2, specifies that the concrete temperature limits shall not exceed 66°C (150°F) except for local areas, such as around penetrations, which are not allowed to exceed 93°C (200°F). Also, a gamma radiation dose of 10 10 rads may cause significant reduction of strength (Fillmore 2004). If significant equipment loads are supported by concrete exposed to temperatures exceeding 66°C (150°F) and/or gamma dose above 10 10 rads, an evaluation is to be made of the ability to withstand the postulated design loads.…”

Characterization of Radiation Fields in Biological Shields of Nuclear Power Plants for Assessing Concrete Degradation*

“…The effects of radiation on concrete have been addressed in numerous reports, including Clark (1958) [1], Hilsdorf et al (1978) [2], and Fillmore (2004) [3]. The most often cited is the work by Hilsdorf et al, which concluded that, for some concretes, neutron fluence of 1.0 × 10 19 n/cm 2 may cause a reduction in compressive and tensile strength and a marked increase in volume.…”