Chlorine signal attenuation in concrete

• Gamma ray yield measurements from chlorinated SF concrete at various depth.
• Cylindrical BGO detector.
• Portable neutron generator based PGNAA setup.
• Nine 8 ×8 ×1 in3 SF cement concrete slabs and one chloride contaminated concrete slab.
• Monte Carlo Simulation to calculate 6.1 MeV gamma ray yield from various depth in SF cement concrete.

The intensity of prompt gamma-ray was measured at various depths from chlorine-contaminated silica fume (SF) concrete slab concrete specimens using portable neutron generator-based prompt gamma-ray setup. The intensity of 6.11 MeV chloride gamma-rays was measured from the chloride contaminated slab at distance of 15.25, 20.25, 25.25, 30.25 and 35.25 cm from neutron target in a SF cement concrete slab specimens. Due to attenuation of thermal neutron flux and emitted gamma-ray intensity in SF cement concrete at various depths, the measured intensity of chlorine gamma-rays decreases non-linearly with increasing depth in concrete. A good agreement was noted between the experimental results and the results of Monte Carlo simulation. This study has provided useful experimental data for evaluating the chloride contamination in the SF concrete utilizing gamma-ray attenuation method.