Properties of heavyweight concrete produced with barite

Abstract Heavyweight concrete has been used for the prevention of seepage from radioactive structures due to the harmful effect of radioactive rays to living bodies (i.e., carcinogenic, etc.). The most important point about heavyweight concrete is the determination of w/c ratio. Selected cement dosage should be both high enough to allow for radioactive impermeability and low enough to prevent splits originating from shrinkage. In this study, heavyweight concrete mixtures at different w/c ratios were prepared in order to determine the most favorable w/c ratio of heavyweight concrete produced with barite. Physical and mechanical experiments were first carried out, and then by comparison with the results of other related studies the findings of this study were obtained. At the end of the study, it was found that the most favorable w/c ratio for heavyweight concrete is 0.40 and the cement dosage should not be lower than 350 kg/m3.