Radioactivity of building materials and the gamma radiation in dwellings

Abstract

Measurements of the radioactivity in some common building materials in Norway are reported, together with calculations of the gamma-ray exposure from walls of different materials. Model rooms are used in calculations of the mean exposure inside concrete, brick and light-weight expanded clay aggregate buildings. These calculations give very good agreement with previous experimental results. The radiological implications of using building materials with high concentrations of radioactivity are also discussed.