Abstract
•The γ and neutron shielding properties of different types of concretes have been investigated by Nxcom program.•All gamma ray attenuation parameters increase with increase marble content.•Fast neutron attenuation coefficient decreases with increase marble content.•Single-valued effective atomic numbers should be treated with some caution.
The gamma and neutron shielding properties of different types of concretes have been investigated. The effective atomic number, Zeff, and the effective electron density, Ne,eff, for photon interaction and energy absorption have been calculated for a wide range of photon energy for concrete where marble concentrations used 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%. The macroscopic fast neutron removal cross-sections and mean free paths have also been calculated by NXcom program. The moderator effect on neutron attenuation coefficient has been discussed. Also, the transmission of neutron has been obtained as a function of thickness of concrete for all concrete types. It was found that increasing marble rate in the concrete leads to decrease of neutron removal cross section and improvement of shielding against gamma rays.