Comparative study of heavyweight concrete produced using one of the natural heavyweight aggregates present in the Eastern Blacksea Region with traditional concrete

Although heavyweight concretes have been used as balancing weight in some special structures which are not safe against sliding and rotation, their main function is to prevent the effects of radioactive matters which emit harmful nuclear rays. The most important difference between heavyweight concrete and traditional concrete is their unit weights. The unit weights of heavyweight concretes are greater than traditional concretes. This study has eight chapters. In the first chapter, a synthesis work is given on heavyweight concretes in the lights of the previous studies. In the second chapter, the properties of heavyweight concrete produced using one of the natural heavyweight aggregates present in the Eastern Blacksea Region are compared to those of the traditional concretes and the effects of the petrographic nature of the aggregates on the fracture mechanism of concrete are studied. Also, the bending behaviours of heavyweight and traditional concrete and reinforced concrete beams are investigated theoretically and experimantally by comparing with the results of each other. In the third chapter, the results obtained in this study are given and evoluated. In the fourth and fifth chapters, the general conclusions obtained from the study together with the recomendations are summarized. Following the fifth chapter, a list of the references and three supplementary chapters are given on "The Sand Equvalent Experiment", "The Strain-gauges", and "Tension Stress Applied to Bond Zone During the Fracture of Concrete Under Axial Force". The main conclusion drawn from the study indicated that, in most cases, the use of heavyweight concrete in special structures is more appropriate compared to the use of a traditional concrete. Keywords: Heavyweight aggregate, heavyweight concrete, traditional aggregate, traditional concrete, fracture mechanisms of concrete, bending behaviours of beams, experimental and theoretical comparison. vn