Development of Low-Activation Reinforced Concrete Design Methodology - I: Manufacture of Low-Activation Concrete

• Published in: Nuclear technology Vol. 168; no. 2; pp. 564 - 570
• Main Authors: Kinno, Masaharu, Kimura, Ken-Ichi, Nishida, Hirokazu, Fujikura, Yusuke, Katayose, Norichika, Tanosaki, Takao, Ichitsubo, Koki, Takimoto, Masaki, Tomotake, Hiroichi, Yoshino, Ryoetsu, Mori, Taiichiro, Hayashi, Katsumi, Uematsu, Mikio, Ogata, Tomohiro, Nakata, Mikihiro, Sato, Mitsuru, Saito, Minoru, Sato, Mamabu, Hasegawa, Akira
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: La Grange Park, IL Taylor & Francis 01.11.2009; American Nuclear Society
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Fuels; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Nuclear fuels; concrete; Sand; Activation; Shielding; Reinforced concrete; Nuclear reactor; Additive; Boron; Boiling water reactor; Decommissioning; induced activity; Cement; low-activation; Radioactivity; Pressurized water reactor
• ISSN: 0029-5450; 1943-7471
• DOI: 10.13182/NT09-A9244

Screening tests using several reactors were performed to select low-activation raw materials. The number of samples was about 1500. Detailed data were obtained on the concentrations of Co and Eu in low-activation aggregates, low-activation cements, low-activation additives, and low-activation B 4 C sands. After that, we manufactured various types (1/10, 1/20, 1/30, 1/50, 1/100, 1/300) of low-activation concrete. The term "1/10 low-activation" concrete denotes that the activity reduction rate to ordinary concrete is designed to be 1/10. By admixing with a boron content of ~1 × 10 21 /cm 3 , the total residual radioactivity reduction rates of low-activation concrete to ordinary concrete, in units of ΣD i /C i (Di: concentration of radionuclide i, Ci: clearance level of radionuclide i cited from IAEA-RS-G-1.7), are estimated to range from ~1/300 to 1/10 000. It was concluded that most of the shielding concrete around the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) or the advanced pressurized water reactor (APWR) are classified below the clearance level of decommissioning by adopting some suitable types of low-activation concrete.