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Title: Bulk Building Material Characterization and Decontamination Using a Concrete Floor and Wall Contamination Profiling Technology

Conference ·
OSTI ID:835248

The concrete profiling technology, RadPro{trademark} has four major components: a drill with a specialized cutting and sampling head, drill bits, a sample collection unit and a vacuum pump. The equipment in conjunction with portable radiometric instrumentation produces a profile of radiological or chemical contamination through the material being studied. The drill head is used under hammer action to penetrate hard surfaces. This causes the bulk material to be pulverized as the drill travels through the radioactive media efficiently transmitting to the sampling unit a representative sample of powdered bulk material. The profiling equipment is designed to sequentially collect all material from the hole. The bulk material samples are continuously retrieved by use of a specially designed vacuumed sample retrieval unit that prevents cross contamination of the clean retrieved samples. No circulation medium is required with this profiling process; therefore, the only by-product from drilling is the sample. The data quality, quantity, and representativeness may be used to produce an activity profile from the hot spot surface into the bulk building material. The activity data obtained during the profiling process is reduced and transferred to building drawings as part of a detailed report of the radiological problem. This activity profile may then be expanded to ultimately characterize the facility and expedite waste segregation and facility closure at a reduced cost and risk.

Research Organization:
New Millennium Nuclear Technologies 805 Washington Drive, Suite C1, Arlington, TX (US); U.S. Department of Energy Mound Environmental Management Project, BWXT of Ohio Inc. P.O Box 3030, Miamisburg, OH (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI ID:
835248
Resource Relation:
Conference: Waste Management 2002 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/24/2002--02/28/2002; Other Information: PBD: 28 Feb 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English