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A NEW APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF RADON BARRIER PROPERTIES OF WATERPROOFING MATERIALS
1Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University, Thákurova 7, 166 29 Praha 6, Czech Republic.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|October 6, 2017
Summary
New definitions for radon resistance and transmittance in waterproofing materials are proposed. These new metrics accurately assess radon-proofing potential for building insulation, unlike older methods.
Area of Science:
- Building Science
- Environmental Health Engineering
- Material Science
Background:
- Radon is a radioactive gas that poses health risks.
- Effective radon-proofing of buildings is crucial for public health.
- Existing methods for evaluating waterproofing materials' radon resistance have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce new, accurate definitions for radon resistance and radon transmittance.
- Establish reliable parameters for designing radon-proof building insulations.
- Compare new definitions with existing ones to highlight discrepancies.
Main Methods:
- Developing new definitions based on steady-state radon distribution within materials.
- Analyzing the relationship between material thickness and diffusion length.
- Comparing calculated radon resistance values using new and existing definitions.
Main Results:
- New definitions of radon resistance and transmittance are introduced.
- Existing definitions significantly underestimate radon resistance for certain material properties (thickness to diffusion length ratio >0.8).
- Radon resistance is not solely dependent on the diffusion coefficient; the thickness to diffusion length ratio is critical.
Conclusions:
- The new definitions provide accurate parameters for designing effective radon-proof insulations.
- Existing methods for assessing radon resistance are inadequate for certain material configurations.
- Accurate material characterization is essential for mitigating radon intrusion in buildings.
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