Using serpentine in concrete: A literature review

Abstract

Concrete is the most important and extensively used building material. It is used for various functions, including shielding materials from radiation sources such as nuclear power plants. Nuclear technology is applied in numerous research institutes, enterprises, and healthcare facilities, in addition to the exposure to radiation from power plants. Concrete has been considered as a potential shielding material by a number of researchers due to its low cost, durability, and strength, as well as the fact that it can be made using readily available materials. Numerous concrete technologists have turned to materials such as Serpentine to make heavy-weight concrete for radiation shielding against different levels of gamma rays and neutron shielding. This review investigates the radiation shielding materials of Serpentine and materials containing Serpentine mineral, such as Green Marble, in the building industry. This review study is divided into two primary areas: serpentine concrete and the use of serpentine aggregates as a radiation shielding material in concrete. Concrete mixtures using Serpentine alone and in combination with other efficient materials like boric acid and other minerals were used to create radiation-shielding concrete (RSC). On the basis of experimental data, the indicator of radiation shielding performance and the unit weight of concrete was found to have a correlation with a high degree of fitting. The objective of this study is to review the use of Serpentine with concrete and to provide direction on the difficulties encountered in the research process so far regarding the use of the mining waste from serpentine rock in concrete.