Mechanical performance of heavy concrete with barite against sulfuric acid rain

Barite concrete, due to its significantly higher specific gravity and robust structural strength, proves to be an ideal radiation shield for nuclear centers. Any structural anomalies in such critical establishments could potentially trigger catastrophic consequences. Therefore, ensuring durability in nuclear centers assumes paramount importance. This research employs an experimental program to study the durability performance of barite concrete thoroughly. The program investigates and analyzes the influence of several variables, including concrete strength class, pH levels of the surrounding environment, aggregate type, and the number of wet and dry cycles, on the compressive and tensile strength of barite concrete. To achieve these goals, 141 cubic specimens and 70 cylindrical specimens were made, and four sulfuric acid pools with pH values of 2, 3, 4, and 7 were utilized. Subsequently, the compressive and tensile strength results of the samples were measured after 7 (28 days), 14 (56 days), 23 (92 days), and 30 (120 days) cycles exposure to acid pools. The findings of this research illuminate that barite concrete exposed to acid precipitation experiences an 18% reduction in compressive strength and a 35% decrease in tensile strength. A comparison between barite concrete and conventional aggregate concrete shows that barite concrete has almost double the strength of ordinary concrete against acid cycles.