Integrating multi-modal microscopy techniques and the MOSAIC simulation environment to assess changes in the physical properties and chemical durability of concrete following radiation exposure

Concrete, a mixture of cement, sand, stone and water is used in the construction of critical structural and shielding components in nuclear power plants. However, concrete, and its polycrystalline aggregate (i.e., sand and stone) constituents are affected, and degraded by exposure to radiation, e.g., in the form of neutrons. For example, the disordering of the native (pristine) atomic architecture of the mineral constituents that make-up aggregates have been shown to: (a) affect their physical properties such as density, which often decreases, as a result of which aggregates expand; a process known as radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE), and (b) affect their chemical durability, wherein disordered (irradiated) minerals dissolve much faster than their pristine counterparts (i.e., resulting in the onset of irradiation-induced alkali silica reaction). These alterations in physical properties and chemical durability – which result in concrete degradation – are problematic as they can compromise concrete’s mechanical integrity, and thus its ability to fulfill shielding, safety and structural functions in nuclear power plants (NPPs). However, in spite of the potential for such degradation, presently, we have no ability to assess how / whether exposure to radiation may have affected the concrete or not?