Radiation protection in buildings

High density concrete radiation shielding guarantees that people can work safely in buildings where ionising radiation occurs. Typical buildings that require this radiation shielding material are:

• hospitals
• laboratories
• research institutes
• nuclear power plant
• nuclear waste treatment location  or production location

As you are aware, the construction of these types of building needs to meet certain specifications. Fortunately, LKAB Minerals can advise you in choosing an aggregate with the right density, specification, quality and consistency, which is key for effective shielding of radiation in buildings.

How does high density concrete block radiation?

Concrete shielding reduces the intensity of radiation depending on the thickness and density of the concrete structure. Moreover, with a higher density material, you can reduce the radiation faster. Therefore, our customers use MagnaDense as a concrete aggregate in the concrete formulation to achieve densities of up to 4.0 t/m³. Contrary, standard concrete typically has a density of up to 2.4 t/m³. As a result, MagnaDense concrete gives full protection but uses less space.

Different construction solutions

Ultimately, there are several construction solutions for using the high density aggregate MagnaDense to build a radiation-protected room or bunker to provide the right degree of defence:

• Standard heavy concrete walls: Walls made of high density concrete which contains MagnaDense.
• “Sandwich” walls: As the name of this solution indicates it involves a layer of compacted MagnaDense between two (mostly) pre-fabricated walls which act as a lost formwork.
• Modular high density concrete blocks: Radiation shielded walls are built using blocks made of heavy concrete and MagnaDense.  We have published a news article with a detailed business case with information about this particular method .

Advantages of using MagnaDense as a radiation shielding material

We often get asked what advantages MagnaDense heavyweight concrete can bring to a radiation shielding project. However, there is not one reply that fits all. You will see that depending on your project one or more of these benefits may apply:

• More weight, less volume; less excavation/transportation/reinforcement and time for construction
• Good radiation shielding characteristics
• Increased weight for a given volume
• Reduced risk of cracking due to the high heat retention of MagnaDense which results in a lower peak in heat of hydration
• Space-saving; thinner walls

Making and handling heavy concrete

In general, building a radiation shielding wall is usually not an everyday job for most companies. Fortunately, heavy concrete can be produced using standard construction equipment. Of course, it is important to understand that the weight of MagnaDense will have an influence on the equipment you use. Moreover, you can use your equipment effectively to handle a heavy concrete just as you can for ordinary concrete. Luckily, we can help you select the aggregate size you need to create the right density of concrete for your project.

Our radiation shielding experience and more

Finally, we have more detailed online information on different radiation shielding projects:

• First LKAB Minerals project for radiation shielding in the 1960’s
• Dense concrete blocks for a research facility
• Expansion project radiation oncology unit
• Light and patient-friendly design of Radiation Oncology Unit
• New radiation treatment clinic

However, note that there are many more projects where our customers use MagnaDense to great effect. Hereto we have gathered these in a radiation shielding project brochure which you can request from your local sales manager.

Also, we have separate detailed pages on:

• nuclear radiation shielding
• healthcare radiation shielding