A study of the influence of a gravel subslab layer on radon entry rate using two basement structures
In buildings with elevated radon concentrations, the dominant transport mechanism of radon is advective flow of soil gas into the building substructure. However, the building-soil system is often complex, making detailed studies of the radon source term difficult. In order to examine radon entry into buildings, the authors have constructed two room-size, precisely-fabricated basement structures at a site with relatively homogeneous, moderately permeable soil. The basements are identical except that one lies directly on native soil whereas the other lies on a high permeability aggregate layer. The soil pressure field and radon entry rate have been measured for different basement pressures and environmental conditions. The subslab gravel layer greatly enhances the advective entry of radon into the structure; when the structures are depressurized, the radon entry rate into the structure with the subslab gravel layer is more than a factor of 3 times the radon entry rate into the other structure for the same depressurization. The gravel subslab layer also spreads the pressure field around the structure, extending the field of influence of the structure and the region from which it draws radon.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 6183275
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-33523; CONF-930701-6; ON: DE93016967
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 6. international conference on indoor air quality and climate, Helsinki (Finland), 4-8 Jul 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The Influence of a Subslab Gravel Layer and Open Area on Soil-Gas and Radon Entry into Two Experimental Basements
The influence of a subslab gravel layer and open area on soil-gas and radon entry into two experimental basements
Related Subjects
BUILDINGS
CONTAMINATION
RADON
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SOILS
PERMEABILITY
BASEMENTS
DEPRESSURIZATION
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
AIR POLLUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUIDS
GASES
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NONMETALS
POLLUTION
RARE GASES
540130* - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)