Cement Mortar Creep under Exposure to Gamma-Ray Irradiation

The effect of gamma-ray irradiation on the cement mortar creep is investigated in this study. The creep investigation is accompanied by the shrinkage measurements and the compressive strength test. The measured creep and shrinkage strains are compared with the values calculated according to the existing models which showed that the creep and the shrinkage of both the control and the irradiated samples lie within the interval predicted by the models. However, creep of the irradiated samples is slightly higher. The gamma-ray irradiation also leads to the significant decrease in compressive strength (20% on average). The physics behind this process is still unclear and demands supplementary porosity and mineral composition investigation. (author).