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TEST CELL STUDIES OF RADON ENTRY
Citation:
Williamson, A., C. Fowler, AND S. McDonough. TEST CELL STUDIES OF RADON ENTRY. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-96/010 (NTIS PB96-153549), 1996.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
The report gives results of a study to contrast the effectiveness of slab-in-stem wall (SSW) with floating slab (FS) construction practices, to measure radon transport and entry for model testing, to develop protocols relevant to depressurized radon measurements, and to determine the effect of high radium fill soil on indoor radon concentrations. (NOTE: Although slab edge detail and fill composition are logical factors to consider in radon resistant construction, little research has documented their effects on radon entry into slab-on-grade structures.) The effects of the slab edge details were investigated in two test cells built on 6X6 m slabs placed over 8 pCi/g radium soil. The high radium fill study was conducted on two 3X3 m poured concrete foundations in which different depths of fill soils could be placed and a movable building put on top. The native soil contained about 0.2 pCi/g radium. The fill soils ranged from 0.2 to 33 pCi/g radium. The indoor radon concentrations in the FS cell were 3.5 times higher than those in the SSW cell. These results agree with predictions by a radon entry and transport (RAETRAD) model. Whole building stresses and slab area and crack length radon entry were measured, and they yielded comparable results. Experiments in the fill study suggest that the amount of emanating soil radium is a good predictor for radon entry into a structure.